CMS Announces Nationwide Moratorium on New DME Suppliers

We discuss CMS's announcement of a nationwide moratorium on new durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers. We explain that this temporary pause only affects new enrollment applications and does not impact existing DME suppliers, who can continue operating normally. We cover how CMS uses moratoria to address significant fraud, waste, and abuse concerns, noting this authority has been applied to home health agencies and ambulance suppliers in the past. We break down the six-month moratorium timeline, the possibility of extensions, and the fact that no individual exceptions are granted. We also mention that new applications submitted during this period will be denied and must be resubmitted after the freeze ends. Finally, we explore how this moratorium fits into broader enforcement efforts, including expanded ownership rules and increased fraud scrutiny across Medicare sectors.