Notice of Preliminary Bid Evaluation (PBE) in the Connexion system, and the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor has sent emails notifying Round 2021 bidders whether they have met necessary bidding requirements or not.
The PBE requirements covered in the letter include active PTAN status, surety bond, applicable state licensure, and Medicare accreditation for all the DME items the provider would bill to Medicare. Providers must have these items in place for all their locations involved in the bidding round.
If CBIC identifies any deficiencies, bidders must respond to the PBE in the Connexion system by Dec. 17.
Already, the American Association for Homecare has highlighted one aspect of CBIC’s PBE letters that is causing some undue or inflated concern: In the letter, the list of issues specific to the provider receiving the letter is on Table 2, “Preliminary Bid Evaluation.” The list on Table 1, “Instructions,” includes all the possible reasons, and is not specific to the provider.
“One aspect of these notifications that has raised heart rates for recipients is that the CBIC lists the full range of reasons a bidder might not meet PBE requirements at the beginning of their message but then lists the bidder’s actual deficiencies (if any), further down in the message,” a statement from the association read.
