The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has by adding 36th chapter to its Medicare Claims Processing Manual, which provides instructions to providers in the competitive bidding program.

The first of coming installments to the chapter, the newly released documentation provides instructions on the program’s policies, including policies on grandfathered providers and items, and transfer of title of capped rental DME items, oxygen and oxygen equipment.

“Suppliers [providers] should be aware of the notification requirement to its Medicare customers who maintain a permanent residence in competitive bidding areas and are furnished grandfathered items,” CMS advised in a statement.

Sample notification letters that suppliers cam use to notify patients as to whether or not they choose to become a grandfathered supplier can be found at http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com.

The latest installment can be downloaded at as an Acrobat file at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R1502CP.pdf.

Future installments of chapter 36 will contain additional instructions and information about the program, and CMS the instructions in this first installment could be revised in subsequent versions.