On November 28, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans for Round 2028 of the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP). If you plan to bid, the time to prepare is now.
Step 1: Get Licensed
All locations on your bid must collectively have current, non-expired state/territory licenses in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) by the close of the bid window, which will open later this year. To stay on track:
- Make sure your CMS-855S Medicare Enrollment Application is up to date with your Medicare Enrollment Contractor (National Provider Enrollment (NPE) Eastern Region DMEPOS contractor (NPEAST) or NPE Western Region DMEPOS contractor (NPWEST)).
- Review the DMEPOS State Licensure Databases on the Medicare Enrollment Contractors’ websites to confirm which licenses are required for your product category(s):
- Verify that all applicable licenses are reflected in PECOS for every location included on your bid.
If a license is current but could expire before the bid window closes, you must renew it and have the updated dates entered in PECOS before the close of the bid window.
Step 2: Get Accredited
Each location on your bid must be accredited by a CMS-approved accrediting organization for all lead and non-lead items in the product category you are bidding by the close of the bid window. Key points to know:
- CMS cannot award contracts to bidders that do not meet accreditation requirements.
- Accreditation exemptions do not apply to the DMEPOS CBP. All pharmacies must be accredited to be eligible, regardless of any general exemptions (e.g., Section 3109 of the Affordable Care Act).
- A list of CMS-approved DMEPOS accreditation organizations is available on the CMS website.
If your locations are not yet accredited, take action immediately, as accreditation can take time to process and must be reflected in PECOS before the bid window closes.
Important: Enrollment Moratorium
CMS implemented a six-month temporary moratorium on accepting initial enrollment applications, effective February 27, 2026. If you are within the scope of the moratorium and need to enroll a new supplier location to bid in Round 2028 of the DMEPOS CBP, the time to prepare is now.
To position yourself for success, you should have your completed enrollment application ready to submit as soon as the moratorium period concludes. Ideally, aim to submit within one week of the moratorium's end date to provide your Medicare Enrollment Contractor sufficient time to process your application before the DMEPOS CBP Round 2028 bid window opens.
Note: The readiness guidance above is provided solely to help suppliers prepare their enrollment applications in a timely manner. As a reminder, this temporary enrollment moratorium remains in effect for six months. If CMS deems it necessary, the moratorium may be extended in six-month increments. CMS has not made a determination whether to extend the moratorium as of July 15, 2026; if extended, CMS will publish a document regarding such extension(s) in the Federal Register.
Stay Informed
The Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website is the official information source for bidders and the focal point for bidder education. The CBIC website contains important and helpful resources to ensure bidders have the necessary information to prepare for DMEPOS CBP Round 2028.
To sign up to receive important competitive bidding announcements and reminders, bidders and others are encouraged to Subscribe to receive email updates on the CBIC website.