DME Ownership Transfer (CHOW)

It changes the path significantly. In a stock sale the legal entity and tax ID often stay the same, so Medicare may treat it as a CHOW where the existing PTAN and accreditation can transfer to the new owner. In an asset sale the buyer is usually a new entity that has to enroll fresh and pursue its own accreditation rather than inherit the seller's. We confirm which structure applies before filing so the Medicare 855S and payer notifications reflect the real deal, not an assumption.

We sequence the notifications and effective dates so coverage doesn't lapse, file the Medicare change of ownership on time, and track each payer's revalidation or notification window. We also flag which claims should bill under the old owner versus the new owner around the effective date so nothing falls into a gap. Final approval timing rests with Medicare and the payers, but careful sequencing and follow-up is what keeps continuity intact.

Typically the purchase or asset agreement, current Medicare enrollment and PTAN details, accreditation certificate and surety bond information, state DME or pharmacy licenses, the new owner's organizational and ownership documents, and CAQH/PECOS access. We send a clear checklist up front so you gather it once. The cleaner the documentation at intake, the fewer back-and-forth requests slow the filing later.

It depends on the deal structure and the accrediting body's rules. In some stock sales accreditation can continue under a CHOW, while asset sales generally require the buyer to obtain its own accreditation and the standard $50,000 DMEPOS surety bond. We coordinate with the accrediting organization and bond provider so the right path is followed and gaps are identified early. We handle the documentation and sequencing; the accrediting body makes the final call.

Yes. We work as an extension of your office inside the systems you already use, including DME platforms like Brightree, and we don't make you switch tools for a CHOW. During the transition that means coordinating how claims are tagged to the correct owner and effective date within your billing software. The goal is continuity in your existing workflow, not a migration on top of an ownership change.

We operate to HIPAA standards with role-based access and a signed BAA in place before we touch any protected health information. During a CHOW we coordinate so patient records, open orders, and documentation move appropriately to the new owner with the right safeguards. Sensitive data stays inside secure workflows throughout the transition rather than being handled ad hoc.

We don't publish pricing because a CHOW varies widely based on deal structure, number of payer enrollments, states involved, and whether accreditation needs to be re-established. After a short consult to scope the transaction, we share a clear quote tied to the actual work. That keeps the price matched to your situation instead of a generic number that wouldn't fit.

We give you a tracked timeline with the status of each Medicare and payer notification, what's submitted, what's pending, and what we need from you next, so there are no surprises. If a payer is slow or requests more, we follow up directly and tell you which claims to hold or how to bill around the gap in the meantime. We coordinate and chase the work, but approval decisions and their timing belong to Medicare and the payers.