Member Q&A From Craig Douglas: Round 2021 of Competitive Bidding

Published in Member Communities on March 02, 2020

Q: "How is Round 2021 of Competitive Bidding going to impact my non-Medicare business, and what should I be doing now to prepare for those changes that are coming next year?"

A: Without question, Round 2021 of Competitive Bidding (CB) will be the single largest force that will shift and shape the reimbursement landscape for DMEPOS suppliers in the foreseeable future for almost any DMEPOS supplier in the United States. Whether you conduct your business in a Competitive Bidding Area (CBA), a non-CB area, or a rural area, this upcoming round of CB will impact you, for better or worse. For many providers, these changes will not only impact their Medicare business, but their business with third-party payers as well. Providers need to review and familiarize themselves with the contract language of their existing payer agreements and to see which contracts have reimbursement rates that are tied to the Medicare fee schedule, how they are tied to Medicare, etc., so they are better prepared for the changes that are coming in 2021. VGM has developed some tools that will help providers better prepare themselves for these upcoming changes. 

If you have any questions, reach out to Craig Douglas at (877) 218-2825 or craig.douglas@vgm.com, and be sure to stay tuned for information regarding upcoming tools and webinars about this topic!