Medicare is taking
steps to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards. CMS will start
mailing new cards to people with Medicare benefits in April 2018. All Medicare
cards will be replaced by April 2019.
Medicare is beginning the revalidation process again. If a practitioner or practice fails to respond timely to these requests they will be deactivated AND will not be able to bill Medicare or collect from the patient for services rendered while deactivated. Members are encouraged to alert their staff to look for any correspondence from Medicare or First Coast Service Options and respond urgently. Revalidations can be time consuming and frustrating. The financial impact could be significant, however, if not handled with urgency and importance. Continue reading for important links to help you revalidate with greater success.
First Coast Service Options, your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for the traditional Medicare program, would like to request your opinion of our service by taking the MAC Satisfaction Indicator (MSI) survey. Your feedback goes directly to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and helps us understand how we can better service you. This survey should only take about 10 minutes of your time and closes May 31.
ABN Updated for Medicare: Effective as of June 21, 2017
The Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131 and form instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. The effective date is June 21, 2017.
March 2017: The ABN, Form CMS-R-131, and form instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. While there are no changes to the form itself, providers should take note of the newly incorporated expiration date on the form. With the 2016 PRA submission, a non-substantive change has been made to the ABN. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), the form has been revised to include language informing beneficiaries of their rights to CMS nondiscrimination practices and how to request the ABN in an alternative format if needed. The effective date for use of this ABN form is 6/21/2017. Read more to download the form.
Many doctors have been notified of a Medicare audit conducted by Strategic Health Solutions. Strategic Health Solutions has been contracted to perform and provide medical review functions of Medicare and Medicaid programs. Strategic Health is currently performing medical review of records through the project Y4P0434 for Chiropractic Services.
With Medicare’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) beginning in 2017, many are asking about PQRS in 2017. Although it seems clear that PQRS ends on 12/31/2016, the G-code quality reporting will continue under MIPS.
The FCA Help Desk has received several calls this week regarding a request for records from StrategicHealthSolutions, an audit contractor for CMS (Medicare). Please be aware of a potential request for records and do NOT ignore. The FCA Help Desk is gathering Information to assist our members in responding. If you wish to discuss this with Mollie Frawley, FCA Help Desk Coordinator, please email her at insurance@fcachiro.org with your best contact information AND your FCA member number or your Florida DC license number.
Read more for helpful steps to take if you receive an audit letter.
Medicare/CMS 