letters, notices are being sent
want to verify if you are slated to receive a revalidation request letter, visit the CMS website and the “Revalidation” page. There you will see a listing of facilities that should have or will be receiving revalidation request letters.
to the proper locations.
Avoiding Missed Deadlines
…Be sure that you examine and read all of the mail you receive, and be sure all correspondence,
filed after these 30 days, the recoupment process will resume as normal but will be halted once the request has been submitted and received. As you proceed to the reconsideration level of appeal, the second level, you may continue to have the recoupment process postponed, as long as you file the reconsideration request within 60 days of receiving the redetermination decision letter. This is shorter than the previously discussed 180 days. If you file a reconsideration request after this the 60-day deadline has passed, the recoupment process will begin, but as soon as you file your request the recoupment process will cease. Even though you may postpone the recoupment process, you may not postpone or extend the accrual of interest deadline. Also, the ability to stop the recoupment process ends 30 days after your receive the reconsideration decision letter; this means that 30 days after the second level of appeals has concluded Medicare will continue with the recoupment process until the original debt and any subsequent interest have been paid in full, even if you continue to proceed through the appeals process. 42
APRIL 2015 | O&P ALMANAC
National Supplier Clearinghouse and Medicare Enrollment Deadlines
If you update or make any change to your business (e.g., adding or removing services, changing office hours, etc.) as it is reported on your most recent Medicare application on file, you are required to notify the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) within 30 days. With the increased use of site visits to combat fraud and abuse, it is vital that all of your information is current. The ramifications of not updating your information in a timely manner will vary, but it can result in having your PTAN number revoked; in essence, you can lose your billing privileges. Medicare requires all enrolled suppliers to revalidate their supplier numbers on a routine basis, and will notify you in writing when it is your turn to revalidate. Once you receive the letter you will have 60 days to complete the revalidation process; if you don’t revalidate your information within those 60 days, Medicare will deactivate your Medicare supplier number and your billing privileges. If you have not recently revalidated your enrollment information with Medicare and you
There are four simple rules to follow to ensure you don’t miss important deadlines. First and foremost, make sure that you and your staff are aware of the deadlines. Second, since most of these deadlines involve some type of written notice, be sure that you examine and read all of the mail you receive, and be sure all correspondence, letters, notices are being sent to the proper locations. Third, don’t forget about the notices you receive, and don’t place them in a pile and say, “I will take care of this later.” If you put it off for too long, you can miss the deadline. Finally, be sure to follow the golden rule—document—especially if you need to demonstrate good cause. Although trying to meet all of the deadlines imposed and created by Medicare can be a burden, not complying can be more of a burden. It could cost you financially, and could cause undue stress on you and your billing/administrative staff. So be sure to avoid those stress-inducing moments by staying current on all of Medicare’s deadlines. Devon Bernard is AOPA’s assistant director of coding and reimbursement services, education, and programming. Reach him at dbernard@aopanet.org.
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