Becoming a DME Supplier

Durable Medical Equipment for Medicare is handles by Palmetto GBA, LLC. They are the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) for all applications to be a supplier.

Claims for DME are submitted to designated Medicare Administrative Contractors or MACS. These are divided into geographical jurisdictions. Companies bid to be the claims processors for the jurisdictions. As an example, Noridian Administrative Services processes all DME claims for Jurisdiction D, which includes most of the Western and Central parts of the country. Your DME processor will most likely be different than the Medicare part B processor for your area. Once your application is approved, NSC will communicate this information.

Here are the steps necessary for applying to be a DME provider:

1. Obtain an NPI. This can be done online through the CMS Web site: www.cms.hhs.gov , the NPI Web site: https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/welcome.do or by calling:1-800-465-3203. If you are an individual starting a practice, you will need an NPI for the practice and one for each individual in the practice who will be billing for DME.
   
   
2. Download an application form from the CMS Web site: www.cms.hhs.gov/CMSforms. This is form 855S. It has detailed instructions for filling it out and providing documentation of your licensure, NPI, facility insurance and your malpractice insurance. The address for the NSC is included in the form.
   
   
3. Download Form 588 from the CMS Web site above. This form is required and allows Medicare to pay your claims through electronic funds transfer (EFT). It should be mailed along with form 855S.
   
   
4. If all forms are complete and the documentation is accepted, it takes about 60 days to be approved.