Collaborative Patient Care Is a Provider Partnership

As a patient’s treating physician or nonphysician practitioner, you may order, refer and/or give health care services for your patient in partnership with other providers. Understanding the applicable Medicare coverage criteria (medical necessity, for example) and documentation guidelines for those services is extremely important for the accurate and timely processing and payment of both your claims and the claims of other entities, including physicians or other health care providers and suppliers who give services for your patient.

The A/B Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Task Force and CMS cobranded the MLN Fact Sheet: Collaborative Patient Care is a Provider Partnership (PDF). Providers are encouraged to review this document and share with appropriate staff.