DMEPOS Round 2028 registration and bid dates are announced
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0274 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 3 · Final
Round 2028 DMEPOS bidder registration opens December 1, followed by the bid window on January 5. Registration closes February 1 and bidding March 10, 2027. CMS has also released bid instructions and a separate covered-document review milestone, ahead of January 2028 contracts.
What happened
CMS’s October 7 announcement moves the Round 2028 DMEPOS bid opening into January 2027 to give suppliers more preparation time. Registration opens December 1, 2026 and closes February 1, 2027; bidding opens January 5 and closes March 10. The timeline separately lists February 8 as the Covered Document Review Date. These milestones serve different functions, so completing registration alone does not complete a bid or substitute for reviewing the required financial-document instructions.
The accompanying resources include the Request for Bids instructions, fact sheets and lead-item pricing tools. The timeline marks later bidder-review and supplier-announcement periods as target dates. Contracts and single payment amounts take effect January 1, 2028. A six-month written-order transition applies to contract suppliers serving beneficiaries previously using noncontract suppliers, rather than a general grace period for late bids. Supplier networks should use the official instructions to coordinate bid preparation and continuity planning.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Directly applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
- Affected functions
- Provider Enrollment, Finance, Managed Care, Clinical Operations
- Responsible owner
- Provider Enrollment
- Recorded date
- 2027-02-01
- Date type
- compliance
Why it matters
The covered-document review date is February 8, 2027; contracts begin January 1, 2028. The published timeline labels dates as targets. Supplier networks should avoid assuming an opening later in 2026.
Recommended action
Identify affected suppliers and product categories, review official bid instructions and plan financial-document preparation. Playbook dates are recommended internal targets, except any explicitly identified agency date.
Implementation playbook
- Map affected supplier locations and product categories to the Round 2028 materials. Provider Enrollment · Due 2026-10-25
- Prepare financial documents, bond responsibilities and bid governance using official instructions. Finance · Due 2026-11-15
- Track registration and bid milestones, with a separate plan for beneficiary continuity. Managed Care · Due 2026-12-01
Sources
- Round 2028 timelineOfficial · CMS · 2026-10-07 · Source review 2026-10-11
- CMS registration and bidding announcementOfficial · CMS · 2026-10-07 · Source review 2026-10-11
Complete edition and supplemental material
This finding in the complete approved report →Regulatory horizons, CIA trends and implementation trackers remain in the full report.
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