Many DME suppliers are sending notices out to physicians requiring them to complete their PECOS registration online by July 6, 2010. As many of you know, we have been working over the last few months to make sure our clients are current with PECOS in advance of that deadline.
Currently the PECOS online system is being inundated by applicants & is not working correctly all of the time. In addition, during business hours, the PECOS system is very, very slow and frequently kicks the applicant out of the system because it has “timed itself out”.
In speaking with CMS, PECOS & DME today, I was made aware that the PECOS deadline is July 6, 2011. If any DME supplier is requesting you to complete PECOS by 7/6/10, please refer them to CMS, PECOS or DME for the correct deadline – next year!
In the meantime, we will continue to finish our clients on PECOS well in advance of the 2011 deadline. If you need any assistance or have any questions about any of this, please contact me.
If you are not our client, you need to be, the next two years will be quite the credentialing ride.
Friday, June 25, 2010
just released from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):
On June 25, 2010, President Obama signed into law the “Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010.” This law establishes a 2.2 percent update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) payment rates retroactive from June 1 through November 30, 2010. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed Medicare claims administration contractors to discontinue processing claims at the negative update rates and to temporarily hold all claims for services rendered June 1, 2010, and later, until the new 2.2 percent update rates are tested and loaded into the Medicare contractors’ claims processing systems. Effective testing of the new 2.2 percent update will ensure that claims are correctly paid at the new rates. We expect to begin processing claims at the new rates no later than July 1, 2010. Claims for services rendered prior to June 1, 2010, will continue to be processed and paid as usual.
Claims containing June 2010 dates of service which have been paid at the negative update rates will be reprocessed as soon as possible. Under current law, Medicare payments to physicians and other providers paid under the MPFS are based upon the lesser of the submitted charge on the claim or the MPFS amount. Claims containing June dates of service that were submitted with charges greater than or equal to the new 2.2 percent update rates will be automatically reprocessed. Affected physicians/providers who submitted claims containing June dates of service with charges less than the 2.2 percent update amount will need to contact their local Medicare contractor to request an adjustment. Submitted charges on claims cannot be altered without a request from the physician/provider. Physicians/providers should not resubmit claims already submitted to their Medicare contractor.
Claims containing June 2010 dates of service which have been paid at the negative update rates will be reprocessed as soon as possible. Under current law, Medicare payments to physicians and other providers paid under the MPFS are based upon the lesser of the submitted charge on the claim or the MPFS amount. Claims containing June dates of service that were submitted with charges greater than or equal to the new 2.2 percent update rates will be automatically reprocessed. Affected physicians/providers who submitted claims containing June dates of service with charges less than the 2.2 percent update amount will need to contact their local Medicare contractor to request an adjustment. Submitted charges on claims cannot be altered without a request from the physician/provider. Physicians/providers should not resubmit claims already submitted to their Medicare contractor.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Special update: Medicare physician payment cut blocked
The House of Representatives just passed the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 3962) by a vote of 417 to 1. This legislation contains provisions that block the 21.3 percent cut to Medicare physician payments until Nov. 30. The Senate passed identical legislation late last week. The president is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. Practices will then see a 2.2 percent increase to Medicare physician payment for claims with dates of service from June 1 through Nov. 30.
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