[jackcien]

In brief: CMS delays PECOS edits, NCB slows growth in homecare market - HME News


General news
In brief: CMS delays PECOS edits, NCB slows growth in homecare market
11.24.2010

BALTIMORE - CMS will not start denying HME claims that contain the names of physicians who haven't enrolled in PECOS on Jan. 3, AAHomecare reported last week. In a bulletin to members Wednesday afternoon, the association stated: "CMS informed us today that the January 3 effective date for PECOS edits has been indefinitely postponed. There is no target date for when an edit that would result in a front-end rejection would be implemented. However, we have been assured that such an edit would not go into effect until everything was 'in place.' We were also told that CMS would provide adequate notice in advance of implementing such edits. This notice would be provided not only to homecare providers but clinicians and beneficiaries." AAHomecare expected CMS to post this information to its website on Wednesday.

[B]Are you still trying to register your referring physicians in PECOS?[/B]

[Regina]

Are you still having problems with physicians not being enrolled? I know a lot of doctors have sent us evidence that they completed the necessary info, but there is such a backlog that they are still coming up as not in PECOS. And, there are still way too many doctors who have no idea what we're talking about.

[jackcien]

Yes Regina. That's a problem we are experiencing.

Did you quit trying to register doctors since the program has been postponed indefinitely? Or are you still trying assuming the deadline will probably be extended another 6 months?

[Regina]

I just posted another question(duh) but I am still confused. Plus, that awful PDF file they gave us was WAY behind in registering doctors. I had a lot of physicians send me the confirmation they received when they registered, but they are still not showing on the list weeks later.

[AndreaStark]

We reccomend you not take your foot off the gas when getting physicians to enroll in PECOS. While the program has been delayed (presumably until July 5, 2011), once the edits are implemented you will no longer by paid by Medicare for orders from physicians not in the system.

MiraVista has been following the implementation of PECOS since the edits were first announced. We have several articles available on our DME News blog, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about how the program will affect your claims, billing and patients if you'd like to shoot me an e-mail.

My contact information is below. Our blog is located at: MiraVista: Medicare News Blog.

[Regina]

We are still trying to get the stragglers registered, but as usual it is an uphill battle.