Last month, the big news was the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to give DME suppliers in the initial competitive bidding areas one more week to submit their bids (as of press time, CMS said the new July 20 deadline was firm, despite acknowledging that significant numbers of suppliers were having difficulty working with CMS’ computer system). But in other Medicare/Medicaid happenings…
• A special-edition of MLN Matters answers questions about NPI — the new National Provider Identifiers. Topics covered in the newsletter include common enumeration errors in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES); dos and don’ts when reporting other provider identification numbers in NPPES; and how to use your NPI when billing Medicare Part B claims to carriers and A/B MACs. To view this MLN Matters edition, go to www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0725.pdf.
• CMS plans to offer an e-mail update service “that delivers the latest healthcare information to citizens’ inboxes,” according to a July 9 agency statement. Would-be subscribers can register for Medicare and Medicaid updates by visiting www.cms.hhs.gov or www.medicare.gov. Updates will include information on coverage updates, Medicare guidance to providers, Medicare publications, claim forms, etc. The free service is being touted as a way to stay up to date without having to continuously check the CMS Web sites to see what’s new. The July 9 statement did not mention when the service would launch.
• The premiere issue of the DME MAC Jurisdiction C Insider is now available by going to www.cignagovernmentservices.com/jc/pubs/insider/2007_insider_summer.pdf. This first edition of the quarterly newsletter covers the interactive voice response (IVR) system and policies for reopenings due to clerical errors or minor omissions on claims forms.
