In December 2025 we informed you that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS) had outlined the pathway for the next round of Medicare Competitive Bidding for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies, or Competitive Bidding Round 2028. While Competitive Bidding Round 2028 is scheduled for implementation beginning Jan. 1, 2028, CMS has indicated that it takes at least 18 months to fully implement each round of competitive bidding and they will begin the process this summer, the summer of 2026.
Last week CMS took the first step in the process by beginning their pre-bidding supplier awareness program. The Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) released a series of new fact sheets and resources on its website. These resources include information on bid surety bonds, bidder eligibility, contract supplier obligations, and the remote item delivery (RID) competitive bidding program. The resources also include a Lead Item Pricing Calculator identifying the lead item, and bid limit, in each product category and calculating the impact a bid has on all other items in the product category.
The next step in the process is that CMS will announce the dates for registration and bidding and the number of contracts to be awarded for each product category. AOPA is reviewing the information released by the CBIC and will provide updates and future educational opportunities as appropriate and as more information becomes available.
Questions? Contact Joe McTernan at jmcternan@AOPAnet.org or Devon Bernard at dbernard@AOPAnet.org.