The Sunset of Indian Health Services

A special edition article was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to notify affected Indian Health Service (IHS) physicians, IHS providers, and IHS suppliers that beginning January 1, 2010, IHS facilities can no longer bill Medicare for ‘other’ Part B services, including Durable Medical Equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, therapeutic shoes, clinical laboratory services, surgical dressing, splints and casts, drugs (those processed by the DME/MACs and those processed by the A/B MACs and the Part B carrier) and ambulance services. As a result of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003, coverage of these ‘other’ Part B items and services started January 1, 2005 for a five-year period which ends January 1, 2010.

Originally published fall, 2009.