Medicare Bonds

Annual premium amounts are determined based on owner personal credit. Providers with stellar credit may be eligible for standard market rates, which range from 1% to 3% of the bond amount ($500 to $1,500). If the principal has a low credit score, or derogatory items on their credit report, annual premium typically ranges between 5% to 12% of the bond amount.

Yes. While many sureties only offer quotes to customers with stellar credit, Lance Surety has a variety of Medicare Bond programs that allows us to approve over 99% of applicants instantly through our online application. Your annual premium will depend on your individual credit profile, but we’re able to offer very aggressive rates.

Any DMEPOS supplier or provider that intends to bill Medicare for equipment must get bonded with a surety company. The bond is posted with the CMS (the obligee) to ensure compliance with their regulations. DMEPOS bonds guarantee that all claims submitted to Medicare are legitimate, and help cut down on fraudulent behavior. In exchange for annual premium, the surety provides a financial guarantee to the CMS that any potential claims will be rectified. If the surety ends up paying out on a claim, the bonded supplier or provider will be required to reimburse them for the cost of the claim.

Not necessarily. A bond must be purchased for every location that has it’s own National Provider Identifier (NPI). If you have multiple locations with different NPIs, and would like to cut down on additional paperwork, you may be able to have all of your locations listed on the same bond form. This can be achieved by having the surety issue one single bond with an addendum listing out each location.

In order to receive a quote, basic information regarding the company, owners and type of bond required must be provided. However, before the original DMEPOS bond can be created, applicants must be provide the following to the surety company:

1. Principal Legal Name
2. Address of DMEPOS Supplier
3. Principal Tax ID No. (TIN)
4. National Provider I.D. (NPI)
5. NSC/PTAN No. (if supplier has one)

Some states have further requirements for some professionals in the healthcare field. For example, in addition to requiring medicaid provider bonds, Florida requires that home medical equipment providers post a bond too.