Welcome to The SCOOTER Store Competitive Bidding Resource Center

Medicare changes may affect you and your access to the medical care you need.

One of the continuing changes in healthcare legislation includes the creation of additional Competitive Bidding Markets for power chairs and other medical products.

National Competitive Bidding Update – Round 2

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the expansion of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program to include the Round 2 competitive bidding areas (CBAs) and a national mail-order competition.

Once fully implemented, the next phase of the bidding program will begin in 2013.

The Round 2 product categories are:

• Oxygen, oxygen equipment, and supplies
• Standard (Power and Manual) wheelchairs, scooters, and related accessories
• Enteral nutrients, equipment, and supplies
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices and Respiratory Assist Devices (RADs) and related supplies and accessories
• Hospital beds and related accessories
• Walkers and related accessories
• Negative Pressure Wound Therapy pumps and related supplies and accessories
• Support surfaces (Group 2 mattresses and overlays)

A list of the specific ZIP codes for each of the 91 competitive bidding areas are available on the CBIC website at http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com/palmetto/cbic.nsf/DocsCat/Home

For more details on Competitive Bidding and how it may affect your power mobility vendor selection, please call us at 1-800-391-7237.

Competitive Bidding Round 1

Beginning on 1/1/2011 National Competitive Bidding began to lower the price on the following Medicare-covered products:

If you are in one of these competitive bidding areas, you must work with a contracted supplier to obtain the above items.

What you need to know

The SCOOTER Store Is an Authorized Medicare Supplier in all current Competitive Bidding Markets

Through an extensive and rigorous process, CMS (Medicare) reviewed thousands of potential DME suppliers as a part of its National Competitive Bidding (NCB) supplier selection process.

The SCOOTER Store—America’s largest and most experienced power mobility provider—was chosen as a contract supplier. This means The SCOOTER Store complies with Medicare’s enrollment rules, is licensed and accredited, and meets Medicare’s financial standards.

Use of Unapproved Suppliers for These Products Will Result in Denied Claims

According to CMS, the Competitive Bidding Program will set more appropriate payment amounts, which means savings to beneficiaries, taxpayers and the Medicare program. If a given supplier is not a bid winner, Medicare may not cover equipment and supplies provided by that supplier. Denied claims can increase the time you spend on paperwork and patient call-back questions.

Winning Bidders were Carefully Reviewed and Selected by CMS

According to CMS, suppliers that represented the local, competitive marketplace and met Medicare’s exacting requirements were selected. “We are pleased that Medicare beneficiaries … will continue to receive high quality service and supplies from the suppliers who were awarded contracts,” said CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D. “Each of these contract suppliers has met our stringent standards, so beneficiaries can be assured they will receive their equipment and supplies from legitimate and quality suppliers at prices that are more in line with the current market.”