National Government Services (NGS), the Jurisdiction B DME MAC, has acknowledged it incorrectly denied some claims for anti-tip devices and is in the process of adjusting those claims.
In an announcement sent via e-mail, NGS said it “has been denying the anti-tipping device incorrectly when billed separately with a power wheelchair indicating the patient did not have related equipment on file. Approximately 246 claims were denied incorrectly, and the beneficiary was held liable for the denied charges.
All claims have been identified and will be adjusted by the Jurisdiction B DME MAC to correct the denial and shift liability from the beneficiary to the supplier. These claim adjustments will date from November 2006 to current.”
NGS also said that since “anti-tipping devices are included in the allowance for power wheelchairs,” suppliers should not be billing anti-tip devices separately when a power chair is initially purchased. HCPCS code E0971 is for an anti-tip device, NGS says, but for manual wheelchairs, not power chairs.
