Posts Tagged January 1 2012

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Everybody’s Favorite Form: New Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) Form Begins in 2012

NOTE: We have just added an educational webinar on using the ABN form. This is an expanded webinar with 75 minutes of content and 15 minutes of Q & A with the attendees. Click here to go to our webinar page for more information.

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CMS recently released an updated version of the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) (form CMS-R-131), which will replace the 2008 version of this form. The 2008 and 2011 ABN notices are identical except that the release date of “3/11” is printed in the lower left hand corner of the new version.  The ABN is used by all providers, practitioners, and suppliers paid under Medicare Part B, as well as hospice providers and religious non-medical healthcare institutions (RNHCIs) paid exclusively under Medicare Part A.

Providers and suppliers may use either the 2008 or 2011 version of the ABN through the end of 2011; beginning Sunday, January 1, 2012, they must begin using the 2011 version. ABNs issued after Sunday, January 1, that are prepared using the 2008 version of the notice will be considered invalid by Medicare contractors.  2008 versions of the ABN that were issued prior to Sunday, January 1 as long-term notification for repetitive services delivered for up to one year will remain effective for the length of time specified on the notice.

Okay, here’s the good stuff that I get questions on all day every day – how do I use the ABN?

 

First, let’s understand WHEN you should use the ABN.

The ABN’s reason for being is to allow the physician practice to collect from the patient for services that the patient wants, but are not covered by Medicare. Practices are not expected to give ABNs to patients to cover services that are never covered (called statutory exclusions), however, many find that it helps the patients understand when they receive a bill for the service. (Note: you may collect in full at time of service if you so choose.) With 2011’s new wellness benefits, some of the primary reasons for using the ABN have gone away. Patients receive a Welcome to Medicare Visit (not an exam) within the first 12 months of the effective date of Medicare Part B coverage. Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for one Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) every 12 months after they have had Medicare Part B for more than 12 months. This is a “visit” and not a physical examination.

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Posted in: Collections, Billing & Coding, Compliance, Medicare & Reimbursement

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Have You Been Ignoring the January 1, 2012 Deadline for 5010? Wake Up – It’s Time to Get Serious!

Just in case you haven’t had a chance (what have you been doing?) to focus on the January 1, 2012 deadline for the transition to 5010, take 5 minutes to read this post and make sure your healthcare group is on track. It is critical to have NO interruption in cash flow in January – a time when cash flow is already lower due to the new deductibles in play for many plans including Medicare.

The American Medical Association (AMA), in its “5010 Implementation Steps: Getting the Work Done in Time for the Deadline” recommends the following to protect your cash in January:

  • Submit as many transactions as possible before Jan. 1, 2012.
  • Decrease expenses before Jan. 1, 2012, to increase cash reserves.
  • Consider establishing a line of credit with a financial institution.
  • Research payers’ advance payment policies.
  • Consider using manual or paper processes to complete transactions until the electronic transactions are fixed.

Note that HIPAA standards, including the ASC X12 Version 5010 and Version D.0 standards are national standards and apply to your transactions with all payers, not just with FFS Medicare. Therefore, you must be prepared to implement these transactions for your non-FFS Medicare business.

Beginning January 1, 2012 all electronic claims, eligibility and claim status inquiries must use Version 5010 or D.O.

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Posted in: Collections, Billing & Coding, Compliance, Finance, Learn This: Technology Answers, Medicare & Reimbursement

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Accreditation Countdown: If You Are Billing Medicare the Technical Component for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging, You Better Get Started

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If you are a physician, non-physician practitioner or Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility (IDTF) who supplies imaging services and submits claims for the Technical Component (TC) of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging (ADI) procedures to Medicare contractors (carriers and A/B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs)), you should know that you must be accredited by Sunday, January 1, 2012.  If your facility uses an accredited mobile facility, and you bill for the TC of ADI, you must also be accredited. The accreditation requirement is attached to the biller of the services.

Those not accredited by that deadline will not be able to bill Medicare until they become accredited.

For those planning on seeking accreditation to continue performing the technical component of ADI services, know that accreditation is dependent on the demonstration of quality standards, including (but not limited to):

  • Qualifications and responsibilities of medical directors and supervising physicians;
  • Qualifications of medical personnel who are not physicians;
  • Procedures to ensure that equipment used meets performance specifications;
  • Procedures to ensure the safety of beneficiaries;
  • Procedures to ensure the safety of person who furnish the imaging; and
  • Establishment and maintenance of a quality assurance and quality control program to ensure the reliability, clarity and accuracy of the technical quality of the image.

Additionally, the accreditation process may include:

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Posted in: Medicare & Reimbursement

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