Medicare DMEPOS Supplier Standards

As a Medicare-enrolled supplier of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS), ACE Medical Supply, LLC is required under 42 CFR 424.57(c)(16) to disclose the supplier standards below to every Medicare beneficiary who receives items from us. The list here is a plain-language summary; the standards themselves are set out in full at 42 CFR 424.57(c).

TODO — this summary has not been checked word-for-word against the current 42 CFR 424.57(c) text or the CMS-published supplier standards handout. Replace it with that exact text (or confirm this paraphrase is acceptable) before publishing, and add ACE’s NPI and Medicare PTAN below.

1. A supplier must operate its business and furnish Medicare-covered items in compliance with all applicable federal and state licensure and regulatory requirements.
2. A supplier must provide complete and accurate information on its Medicare enrollment application, and update that information within the required timeframes.
3. An authorized individual must sign the supplier’s enrollment application.
4. A supplier must fill orders from its own inventory, or contract with another company for the item, and may not simply refer beneficiaries elsewhere without furnishing the item itself.
5. A supplier must advise beneficiaries of their right to choose, where applicable, to rent or purchase an item, and of Medicare’s reasonable useful lifetime rules.
6. A supplier must honor all warranties under applicable state law and must not charge a beneficiary for warranty-covered service.
7. A supplier must maintain a physical facility of adequate size, staffed and accessible during posted hours, with a visible sign and permanent, fixed location, and must permit CMS or its agents to conduct on-site inspections.
8. A supplier must maintain a primary business telephone listed under the name of the business, staffed during posted business hours.
9. A supplier must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance in the amount required by CMS.
10. A supplier may not contact a beneficiary by telephone about furnishing a covered item unless the beneficiary has given written permission, the supplier already furnished an item to the beneficiary and is contacting them about that item, or narrow exceptions apply.
11. A supplier is responsible for delivery and must maintain proof of delivery documentation.
12. A supplier must answer beneficiary questions and respond to complaints about the equipment or services provided.
13. A supplier that sells or rents items must maintain and repair those items and maintain loaner equipment when appropriate.
14. A supplier must accept returns of substandard or unsuitable items from beneficiaries.
15. A supplier must disclose these supplier standards to each beneficiary it furnishes items to.
16. A supplier must disclose to CMS, upon request, all products and services it furnishes.
17. A supplier must not convey or reassign its Medicare supplier billing number to another party.
18. A supplier must have a complaint resolution protocol and make it available to beneficiaries on request.
19. A supplier must maintain records of all beneficiary complaints, written or oral, and their resolution.
20. A supplier must agree to furnish CMS with data on customer service and satisfaction upon request.
21. A supplier must be accredited by a CMS-approved accreditation organization for the specific products and services it furnishes.
22. A supplier must notify its accreditation organization within 30 days of opening a new practice location.
23. A supplier must be re-surveyed and re-accredited on the schedule CMS and its accreditation organization require.
24. A supplier must disclose to its accreditation organization all products and services furnished at the time of enrollment.
25. A supplier must obtain and maintain a surety bond in the amount CMS requires, per National Provider Identifier.
26. A supplier of oxygen equipment must obtain its oxygen from a state-licensed oxygen supplier, where applicable.
27. A supplier must maintain documentation of the ordering or referring practitioner for every item it furnishes.
28. A supplier is generally prohibited from sharing a practice location with another Medicare-enrolled supplier of the same product category, with limited exceptions.
29. A supplier must be open to the public a minimum number of hours per week, with limited exceptions.
30. A supplier must meet any additional standards CMS specifies by regulation.

National Provider Identifier (NPI): TODO — add ACE’s NPI.
Medicare supplier / PTAN number: TODO — add ACE’s PTAN.
Accreditation organization: The Joint Commission TODO — confirm the accreditation covers every product category listed on this site.
Illinois HME license or exemption basis (225 ILCS 51/): TODO — confirm whether ACE holds an IDFPR home medical equipment license or relies on the CMS-accreditation exemption, and state which, with the license number if applicable.