MLN Matters® Number: SE0929 Revised
Related Change Request (CR) #: N/A
Related CR Release Date: N/A
Effective Date: N/A
Related CR Transmittal #: N/A
Implementation Date: N/A
Note: This article was revised on December 22, 2009, to show that the 2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program has been extended through March 17, 2010.
Provider Types Affected
This article is for physicians currently participating in Medicare or considering participation during 2010.
What You Need to Know
Due to recent revisions that were made to the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the 2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program end date from December 31, 2009, to March 17, 2010 – therefore, the enrollment period now runs from November 13, 2009, through March 17, 2010. The effective date for any Participation status change during the extension, however, remains January 1, 2010; and will be in force for the entire year.
Medicare contractors (carriers and Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs)) will accept and process any participation elections or withdrawals, made during the extended enrollment period that are received or post-marked on or before March 17, 2010.
Background
This is an extension of the annual participation enrollment period dates in CR 6637 (Transmittal 1832 -- Calendar Year (CY) 2010 Participation Enrollment and Medicare Participating Physicians and Suppliers Directory (MEDPARD) Procedures), dated October 16, 2009. CR 6637 is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Transmittals/downloads/R1832CP.pdf on the CMS website.
The Participation Agreement (CMS-Form 460) is available on the CD-ROM that is sent out annually by your Medicare contractor during the Annual Participation Enrollment period. Your contractor will also make the Participation Agreement available to you by placing it on their websites with Participation enrollment (and termination) instructions.
Palmetto GBA would also like you to know that:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working with Congress, health care providers, and the beneficiary community to avoid disruption in the delivery of health care services and payment of claims for physicians, non-physician practitioners, and other providers of services paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule, beginning January 1, 2010. In this regard, CMS has instructed its contractors to hold claims for services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for up to the first 10 business days of January (January 1 through January 15) for 2010 dates of service. This should have minimum impact on provider cash flow because, by law, clean electronic claims are not paid any sooner than 14 calendar days (29 days for paper claims) after the date of receipt. Meanwhile, all claims for services delivered on or before December 31, 2009, will be processed and paid under normal procedures.
The holding of claims allows Medicare contractors time to receive the new, updated payment files and perform necessary testing before paying claims at the new rates. CMS has instructed contractors to begin processing claims at the new rates no later than January 19, 2010.
Please note that most contractors are closed on the January 18 Martin Luther King Day holiday. Therefore, even absent a new update, most claims likely would not have been paid any sooner than January 19, 2010, given the aforementioned statutory 14-day payment floor.
CMS has extended the 2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program end date from January 31, 2010, to March 17, 2010- therefore, the enrollment period now runs from November 13, 2009, through March 17, 2010.
The effective date for any Participation status change during the extension, however, remains January 1, 2010, and will be in force for the entire year.
Contractors will accept and process any Participation elections or withdrawals, made during the extended enrollment period that are received or post-marked on or before March 17, 2010.
Additional Information
If you have any questions, please contact the Palmetto GBA Provider Contact Center at their toll-free number, (866) 332-7025 (Ohio and West Virginia) or (888) 828-2092 (South Carolina Part B).
Disclaimer
This article was prepared as a service to the public and is not intended to grant rights or impose obligations. This article may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. The information provided is only intended to be a general summary. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. We encourage readers to review the specific statutes, regulations and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their contents. CPT only copyright 2009 American Medical Association.