65 -- Medicare Part B Drugs - Competitive Acquisition Program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) anticipates releasing a solicitation for contracts to be awarded to vendors in order to supply certain Medicare Part B drugs and biologicals in a designated competitive acquisition area under the Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) for Part B Drugs. Information on the CAP can be found in section 1847B of the Social Security Act, as added by section 303(d) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and amended by Section 108 of the Medicare Improvements and Extension Act of 2006 (MIEA-TRHCA). The CAP solicitation is tentatively scheduled to be released on January 14, 2008 and the bidding period will end on February 15, 2008. The contract period will begin on January 1, 2009 and will end on December 31, 2011. Additional information about the CAP may be found at the following CMS website: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcquisforBios/01_overview.asp Bidding forms and background information on the previous bidding period may be found at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcquisforBios/03a_vendorbackground.asp A list of drugs currently supplied under the CAP may be found at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CompetitiveAcquisforBios/Downloads/CAPDrugList.pdf This announcement also serves to notify vendors in advance of some of the solicitation requirements. In order to be considered for award of a contract under the CAP, a vendor must complete a CMS Form 855B and be enrolled as a Medicare supplier. The CMS Form 855B is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CMSforms/downloads/cms855b.pdf In addition, a vendor, including any of its subcontractors, subsidiaries, or business affiliates, must also be licensed in accordance with state and Federal requirements and in a manner that will allow the applicant to supply CAP drugs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, The United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. You are reminded that the information provided in this announcement is for advance planning only and is not a request for proposal. The formal solicitation is anticipated to be released in January. CAP PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT While we do not expect to be able to provide any additional information about the CAP prior to the release of the solicitation in January, any questions may be directed to Bonny C. Dahm, Health Insurance Specialist, at (410) 786- 4006, Fax (410) 786-4490 or via E-mail at bonny.dahm@cms.hhs.gov.