Partner Standards
Why Standards Matter to Every Patient We Serve
Every patient who submits a request through Diabetic Discounts Network is trusting that the partner ultimately fulfilling their order will handle their insurance billing correctly, ship their supplies reliably, and treat them professionally throughout the process. Because we don’t fulfill orders ourselves, maintaining that trust depends entirely on holding every partner in our network to a consistent, meaningful set of standards. This page outlines what those standards are and how we monitor them on an ongoing basis.
Licensing and Enrollment Standards
Active CMS enrollment.
Every DME supplier partner must maintain active enrollment with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a DMEPOS supplier, confirming their eligibility to bill Medicare directly and, generally, their standing to work with Medicaid and private insurers.
State-specific licensing.
Depending on the state and product category, partners must maintain appropriate state-level licensing, whether that’s a state DME license, pharmacy license, or other relevant credential required to legally operate in that jurisdiction.
Good standing with relevant authorities.
We confirm that a partner’s enrollment and licensing are in good standing, not subject to any pending suspension, revocation, or significant unresolved compliance action, before finalizing a partnership.
Operational Standards
Reliable order processing.
Partners must demonstrate the operational capacity to process verified requests promptly, without excessive delay between receiving a confirmed order and initiating fulfillment.
Consistent shipping timelines.
We expect partners to meet reasonable, consistent delivery windows, generally aligned with the timelines we communicate to patients, and to proactively flag any anticipated delay rather than leaving a patient without a clear timeline.
Discreet, appropriate packaging.
Given the personal nature of diabetic supplies, partners must ship orders in plain, discreet packaging without visible labeling describing the contents.
Accurate order fulfillment.
Partners are expected to ship the correct product, brand, and quantity as verified through our process, with a clear procedure for promptly correcting any error.
Patient Communication Standards
Professional, respectful patient interaction.
Any direct communication a partner has with a patient, whether about an order status, a billing question, or a delivery issue, should reflect the same standard of respect and clarity patients experience with our own team.
Responsive support for order-specific questions.
Partners should have a reasonable process for patients or our support team to reach them regarding an active order, without excessive wait times or unresolved communication gaps.
Accurate information about coverage and costs.
Partners must communicate accurate information regarding what a patient’s insurance covers and what they owe, consistent with the verification our team has already completed, rather than introducing conflicting or confusing cost information.
Compliance and Billing Standards
Accurate insurance billing.
Partners are responsible for billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers accurately and in compliance with applicable regulations, including proper use of billing codes and documentation retention requirements.
No balance billing beyond what’s owed.
Partners must not bill patients for amounts beyond their actual insurance-determined responsibility, consistent with the cost estimates provided during our verification process.
Proper handling of patient information.
Partners must handle patient personal and health information consistent with applicable privacy regulations and the data handling terms outlined in their partner agreement with us.
No unauthorized referral arrangements.
Consistent with applicable healthcare regulations, partners must not engage in improper referral fees or kickback arrangements related to patients routed through our network.
How We Monitor Ongoing Compliance
Periodic enrollment and licensing verification.
We periodically reconfirm that partners maintain active, good-standing CMS enrollment and relevant state licensing, since these statuses can change after an initial partnership is established.
Patient feedback review.
We track patient feedback related to specific partners, including complaints about delivery, billing, or communication, and address recurring issues directly with the partner involved.
Delivery and fulfillment metrics.
We monitor overall delivery timeliness and order accuracy across our network, identifying and addressing any partner whose performance falls meaningfully below expected standards.
Direct partner communication.
We maintain regular communication with partners regarding performance, upcoming changes, and any standards that may need to be addressed, rather than relying solely on reactive complaint-driven monitoring.
What Happens When a Partner Falls Short
If a partner doesn’t meet our expected standards, whether due to a compliance lapse, a pattern of service issues, or a change in licensing status, we address the situation directly, which can include requiring a specific corrective action, temporarily pausing new requests routed to that partner, or removing the partner from our active network entirely if the issue isn’t resolved. Our priority in these situations is protecting the patients we’ve already routed to that partner and ensuring future requests aren’t affected by an unresolved issue.
Standards Apply to Every Partner, Regardless of Size
Whether a partner is a large, established DME supplier or a smaller, regionally focused business, the same core standards apply. We don’t apply a different bar for larger partners simply based on scale, since a patient’s experience with a smaller regional supplier deserves the same reliability as their experience with a larger national one.
Why We Publish These Standards Publicly
Many networks keep their internal quality requirements private, sharing them only with partners directly. We’ve chosen to publish ours openly for a specific reason: patients researching whether to trust our service deserve to know what standard their eventual supplier is held to, not just take our word for it that a vetting process exists. Making these standards visible also holds us accountable to actually enforcing them consistently, rather than treating quality control as an internal formality.
Reporting a Concern About a Specific Partner
If you’re a patient who has experienced an issue with a specific vendor partner, whether a delivery problem, a billing discrepancy, or a communication issue, contact our support team directly. Your feedback is a meaningful part of how we monitor and maintain these standards across our network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Active CMS enrollment as a DMEPOS supplier, along with any relevant state-level licensing required for their specific product categories and service area.
Through periodic reconfirmation of enrollment and licensing status, ongoing review of patient feedback, tracking of delivery and fulfillment metrics, and regular direct communication with partners.
We may require a specific corrective action, temporarily pause new requests routed to that partner, or remove them from our active network if the issue isn’t resolved.
Yes. The same core standards apply to every partner regardless of size, since every patient deserves the same level of reliability.
No. Partners are required to bill consistent with your actual insurance-determined responsibility and the cost estimate provided during our verification process, not an inflated or different amount.
Contact our support team directly with details about the issue. Your feedback factors into our ongoing monitoring of that partner’s standing in our network.
This page describes our general partner standards. Specific compliance and service obligations for any individual partner are set out in their formal partner agreement.