The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has delayed until April a competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment providers.
The program was initially set to launch July 1, 2008, but concerns over unfair advantages for larger suppliers caused Congress to delay the program for 18 months. In January, CMS began the process of reintroducing the program. CMS, however, said more time was needed to review the rule.
The new start date for the competitive bidding process is April 19. A comment period on the rule will end March 17. Many long-term care providers oppose the rule because they believe it would favor large DME companies over smaller ones.
