Competitive Bidding Areas (CBAs)

20.2 - Competitive Bidding Areas (CBAs) (Rev. 1502; Issued: 05-09-08; Effective/Implementation Date: 06-09-08) A CBA is designated by specific ZIP Codes. A CBA that is identified with a specific MSA may be concurrent with, larger than or smaller than the related MSA depending on a variety of considerations. Areas that may be exempt from the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program include rural areas and areas with low population density within urban areas (i.e., MSAs) that are not competitive, unless there is a significant national market through mail order for a particular item or service. The CBA will be the area within which certain DMEPOS items must be furnished by contract suppliers unless an exception applies. CBAs are designated through program instructions or other means (e.g. Web site posting). A listing of the ZIP Codes per CBA for round 1 of the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program is available at CBIC Web site, http://www.dmecompetitivebid.com. ZIP Codes for future rounds will also be listed on this Web site. The DME MACs will be notified of any changes to ZIP Codes as often as weekly via systematic updates to VMS.