Registration will open Dec. 1, 2026, for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) providers seeking to participate in Round 2028 of Medicare’s competitive bidding program.
Registration will close Feb. 1, 2027.
The bid window opens Jan. 5, 2027, and closes on March 10, 2027.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the dates on Oct. 7, with its Oct. 8 MLN Connects newsletter containing further details.
CMS also opened the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) customer service center on Oct. 7.
The rest of the timeline
Bid winners and single payment amounts (SPAs) are scheduled to be announced in late summer/early fall 2027. CMS will also begin beneficiary education in that timeframe.
When the bid window closes, CMS plans to perform bidder notification processes, including bona fide bid review, preliminary bid evaluation, covered document review, and surety bond review. Those processes are scheduled for late winter/spring 2027.
On Jan. 1, 2028, Round 2028 will start, with contracts and SPAs going into effect on that date. Jan. 1 also is the start of a six-month transition period “for contract suppliers to obtain written orders for beneficiaries using non-contract suppliers prior to Jan. 1, 2028,” CMS said. “Once the six-month grace period expires, beginning July 1, 2028, contract suppliers will be expected to submit the required documentation upon request without exception.”
Non-contracted suppliers won’t be allowed to keep providing competitive bidding DMEPOS during that six-month window . “It is not a transition period during which non-contract suppliers can continue furnishing competitively bid items,” the agency said in an FAQ document.
The Round 2028 competitive bidding program comprises seven product categories:
— Class II continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps: Lead item A4239; bid limit $273.28.
— Hydrophilic urinary catheters: Lead item A4296; bid limit $8.86.
— Ostomy supplies: Lead item A4385; bid limit $7.28.
— Off-the-shelf back braces: Lead item L0651; bid limit $855.26.
— Off-the-shelf knee braces: Lead item L1852; bid limit: $691.80.
— Off-the-shelf upper-extremity braces: Lead item L3916; bid limit $591.58.
— Urological supplies: Lead item A4352; bid limit $8.86.
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