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  • CMS Will Not Grant An Extension for DME Accreditation

    18 comments

    CRE has had extensive discussions with CMS regarding accreditation. CMS has decided not to grant an extension to DME providers. In arriving at this decision, CMS has given serious consideration to several Congressional mandates, including patient access and Congressionally mandated deadlines.

    CRE is not in a position to provide its readers with business advice; however we are in a position to inform you of your options regarding accreditation.

    If you are likely not to be accredited you should give consideration to voluntarily terminating your enrollment in the Medicare program–please see page 4 of the CMS 855S. If you fail to voluntarily terminate your enrollment with the Medicare program you will lose your billing privileges which will bar you from re-enrolling for at least one year from the date of revocation.

    The CMS 855S can be downloaded at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/cmsforms/downloads/cms855s.pdf

    A related question is whether pharmacies must also be accredited. CRE is examining this matter, but given our understanding of the importance accorded to meeting Congressional deadlines, we assume they are not exempt from the accreditation requirement; however we are awaiting an official statement from CMS.

    CRE continues to be concerned about patient access to medical equipment. In the event suppliers are precluded from providing equipment as a result of the accreditation requirement or if patients no longer have access to medical equipment, please post your experiences on the CRE Discussion Forum. If access becomes a major issue, CRE will use your experiences as a basis for serving CMS with a “Petition for Reconsideration”. The CRE Discussion Forum is at http://www.thecre.com/Forum/

     

    18 responses to “CMS Will Not Grant An Extension for DME Accreditation” RSS icon

    • We are the only DME provider within a 100 mile radius for certain supplies. We followed all of Medicare deadlines, yet we still haven’t had our site inspection. Again per Medicare we have “voluntarily” surrendered our license, but we will not be able to keep our doors open….Medicare’s page says that if we had a completed application in by Jan 30 it was the accrediation’s responsibilty to have us inspected, but now we lose and our more imporatantly our 1000’s of patients lose.

    • Unbelievable! I’ve been in the respiratory business, which was beat to death to where we had to close, and now this. Socialist America. CMS knows full well that an extension would help honest small business, but in the name of fraud protection, they harm us. Wake up America, small business is the fabric of the United States and we are getting clobbered. I’m a business owner and Vet. I’m getting more ashamed to be American.
      My .02

    • This article below is infuriating. If we were told that our workroom completion gave us a preliminary paper accredidation, then we would be “grandfathered in”? How is this fair?

      Are there other companies out there aware of the fact the ABC company had NASI send out letters to organizations that they were accrediting and let them know that they were paper accredited and to expect on on site visit within 2 1/2 years. I spoke to someone at CMS and they are aware of the error and have told them (ABC) that they have to do their site visits much sooner but the companies that received the letters have been “grandfathered” in and can continue to bill their medicare patients on OCT 1st. If that is not discriminating then I don’t know what is. The government has so many regulations for our business’ yet discrimination is okay for them. I don’t think it is FAIR when we are dependent on another organization controlling the time when they do their site visit. CMS could easily grant an extension and resolve this whole issue for their medicare recipients. Continue to contact your senators and representatives now.

    • I am awaiting the survey as well. I have completed all paperwork, bond issues and such. What makes things worse, is the fact I am paying my accredidation company monthly for doing nothing. That can not be right.

    • Well

      Thank you CMS for taking us out of bussiness after all our efforts to comply. We are going to pick up all of our equipments and let CMS solve the patients problems. We have been forced to fire all of our personnel and leave many families without their daily bread on this difficult financial times.

      Conclussion….

      DMEPOS Bussiness is for the Rich and Big Companies. Small suppliers don’t have a chance.

      Anyway…. Praise the Lord and
      Long Live America

    • Waiting on an INSPECTION September 30th, 2009 at 11:48

      Can we create a class action law suit? What attorney could/would step up to the plate. Our associations that represent us just want our money, for fluff. No good has come by VGM or MAMES AAHomecare, etc. Why is the delivery of Medical Equipment being trampled?
      We need to stand and be heard! Repossessing our equipment and turning down medicare beneficiaries seems our only recourse. Make them all pay for services before delivering equipment. Then lets see who suffers.

    • The Class Action law suit sounds like a good idea, but we would need a list off all suppliers that have been affected and then get a Law Firm that get interested on the case. I’m not an attorney but I beleive that it is evident that CMS has made a lot of harm to suppliers that were just waiting to be surveyed.

    • accredited since 2003 October 1st, 2009 at 15:04

      This is not a news flash. Unless you live under a rock you have seen that this was coming. Man up (not intending to be gender specific) and take some responcibility for your business. It is no ones fault but yours that you are not already accredited. Whaa whaa whaa…

    • Responsibility loser. This is part of the problem. Losers that berate others in the same industry are selfish. Stand alone Accredited since 2003.

    • I finally passed the accreditation survey but my heart goes out to those who have not met the deadline for whatever reason. This deadline should be extended at least one more month. And where is our government helping small businesses – in fact, it seems the total opposite. Our taxes have gone up, more regulations that cost lots of $$$$, more insurance ( good for those insurance companies – NOT), and cuts in our reimbursements. It is a lose, lose situation! Oh, I know, lets give some government funding to the car dealerships, or let me think, the banks – right!

    • Has anyone found out why it cost so much for accreditation. I talked to several accreditation companies and they all have different answers to this question. With the cost of the bond, and it is a yearly cost, and deep cuts in reimbursements, and more to come, I think this is more of a move to get rid of small business in DME.

    • 5000/accreditation
      250/surety bond

    • We do not take Medicare assignment, have no intention of ever participating in competitive bidding and only bill non-assigned when requested. We met the surety bond requirement and now find that wasn’t enough. Why should a small company be required to spend a ridiculous amount of time and money to bill non-assigned? Am I missing something?

    • It seems unfair to the hundreds of medicare patients that can’t get their ostomy, urinary and wound dressing supplies thru Medicare. The closest place for them to obtain supplies is either 50 or 90 miles and if you are 80 to 95 years old, this is very difficult to do

    • we are a small hme company, we serve rural southeastern ohio,we have been in business since 1976.
      due to all accredation requirements and costs, not to mention, all state requirements. and lets not forget the 9 % cuts, we are being forced out of business because of cash flow and the owners maxed out credit lines at his hometown bank , and with our venders.
      the end is here, more unemployement for our stste , less tax revenue for our state. and my self being homeless or living in a pop up camper.
      i have been in this business since i was a boy (my parents owned before i purchased.)and we ghave served honest hard working americans for 32 years. why should i loose everything i own to serve the elderly and the needy?
      as hank williams jr once wrote in a song “its the good ole american way ”
      we as small independent providers need a class action lawsiut against cms .
      we are being discreminated against .why can pharmacys get the must needed extension. not the small hmes.
      i have had enough.

    • awaiting site survey,
      does cms want the 30% of non accredated hmes out of business? it sure seems like it.
      don’t they realize small business make up this country?
      why is hme dealers always under they gun for fraud and abuse? we only represent a small amount of cms’s claims.
      why don’t they cut hospitals, physicians, pharmacial companies which have huge proffit margins?
      i know why , the ama!!!
      something needs done!
      i bet walmart pharmacy’s are all accredated!!!
      small hmes need to stick together on these issues, or we all will be out of business!!!

    • For those who have been accredited, what agencies worked best and where did you turn for your P & P manual.

      We are a startup business caught up in between the accreditation process.

    • It’s jan 6th, and we have not received any informations regarding another extension for non-accr. pharmacies. What’s the deal?


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