Medicare Blog

how to bill for non contract va providers using medicare payment model

by Miss Liza Leuschke Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

How does VA pay for non-Medicare recognized services?

You can pay your bill by check or money order in person at your local VA medical center or by mail. Make the check or money order payable to “VA” Include the account number and payment stub; Go to the nearest VA medical center’s Agent Cashier’s Office or mail your payment to the following address: Department of Veterans Affairs P.O. Box 3978

Why are there different payment methods for VA and Medicare?

Dec 01, 2021 · Provider Payment Dispute Resolution for Non-Contracted Providers. Medicare Advantage organizations, Cost plans, and PACE organizations are required to reimburse non-contract providers for Part A and Part B services provided to Medicare beneficiaries with an amount that is no less than the amount that would be paid under original Medicare. Non …

How do I Bill for non-credentialed and non-contracted providers?

Therefore, providers and facilities that utilize Medicare’s billing and coding . guidelines will greatly minimize claim delays or rejections as a result of the Program Integrity Tools Improper Payment Review. The following Medicare link is an excellent source of billing and coding guidance for all providers and facilities: Medicare Claim ...

How do I contact the VA community care billing program?

Mar 03, 2021 · Billing for Non-credentialed & Non-contracted Providers. Knowing how to bill for non-credentialed and non-contracted providers can ensure your claims for service are accurate and help you avoid regulatory mistakes that could result in audits and, even worse, fines. It can be tricky to understand how to bill and receive payment for a clinician ...

How do VA benefits work with Medicare?

You can have both Medicare and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, but Medicare and VA benefits do not work together. Medicare does not pay for any care that you receive at a VA facility. In order for your VA coverage to cover your care, you must generally receive health care services at a VA facility.

Does VA follow CMS guidelines?

VA will provide the same protections to CMS reports as to VA Privacy Act covered records. VA will comply with the following restrictions on the information provided by CMS: 1. Records provided by CMS will remain the property of the CMS.

Does VA pay Medicare rates?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses hospital care, medical services and extended care services up to the maximum allowable rate. The maximum allowable rate is generally the applicable Medicare rate published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

How do you bill the Veterans Administration?

Make a Payment
  1. Online: Pay directly from your bank account, by debit card, or credit card at the Pay.gov website.
  2. By Phone: 888-827-4817.
  3. In Person: Pay at your local VA Medical Center Agent Cashier's Office.
  4. By mail: Pay by check or money order made payable to “VA.” Be sure to include the account number and payment stub.

Does the VA use CPT codes?

In addition to the National CPT and HCPCS codes, the VA also uses the following VA specific HCPCS format codes. These codes are not included in the HCPCS or CPT manuals. Related manuals to the CPT User Manual include the CPT Technical Manual, the CPT Installation Guide, and the CPT Release Notes.

How do providers check VA claim status?

If you filed a claim with VA directly for Veteran care, you can check the status of your VA claim through the eCAMS Provider Portal (ePP). ePP is a reporting tool that allows registered users on demand access to claim status and line level adjudication information.Feb 14, 2022

Who is primary Medicare or Veterans Administration?

The VA pays for VA-authorized services or items . For active-duty military enrolled in Medicare, TRICARE pays first for Medicare- covered services or items, and Medicare pays second . For inactive-duty military enrolled in Medicare, Medicare pays first and TRICARE may pay second .

How do I opt out of Medicare?

In order to opt out you must file an opt-out affidavit with the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) or Carrier that administers any jurisdiction you practice in. A template for this affidavit that conforms to Medicare rules follows.

Do I need Medicare if I have VA coverage?

If you have VA benefits, you do not have to enroll in Medicare in order to keep your VA benefits. That being said, the Veterans Administration actually recommends veterans enroll in Medicare when they become eligible.

How do I get reimbursed from VA for medical bills?

Medical Care Reimbursement Request

A signed written request for reimbursement and receipt of payment, must be submitted to your local VA medical facility Community Care office in a timely manner. You may use VA Form 10-583, Claim for Payment of Cost of Unauthorized Medical Services to fulfill this requirement.

What is Veteran Edipi?

Unique Member Identifier -- Department of Defense assigns an electronic data interchange personal identifier (EDIPI) that allows VA to retrieve the Veteran's health record. A salute to your military service – The emblem of your latest branch of service is displayed on your card.

Can TriWest be secondary to Medicare?

TriWest and Veteran benefits cannot pay secondary or as a Medicare supplemental plan.

What is a non contract provider?

Non-contract providers are required to accept as payment, in full, the amounts that the provider could collect if the beneficiary were enrolled in original Medicare. Plans should refer to the MA Payment Guide for Out of Network Payments in situations where they are required to pay at least the Medicare rate to out of network providers.

What is Medicare Advantage reimbursement?

Medicare Advantage organizations, Cost plans, and PACE organizations are required to reimburse non-contract providers for Part A and Part B services provided to Medicare beneficiaries with an amount that is no less than the amount that would be paid under original Medicare.

Do you have to follow Medicare policy for reciprocal billing?

Verify with your contracted health plans to make sure you are following your contract and billing policies for reciprocal billing. If you do not know what is required by a specific payer, again, it is a good rule of thumb to follow Medicare policy.

What is reciprocal billing?

Reciprocal billing definition: A reciprocal billing arrangement is an agreement between physicians to cover each other’s practice when the regular physician is absent. This is usually an informal arrangement and is not required to be in writing.

How much advance notice do you need to credential a new provider?

As a practice grows, new providers are needed to manage heavier patient flow. Especially when this need is unexpected, a clinic owner may not have four to six months advance notice to fully credential a new clinician.

Why do clinics need to fill roles?

A clinic may need to fill a role quickly due to the unexpected loss of a provider ( i.e. termination or leave without notice), or temporarily when a clinician is absent due to illness, pregnancy, vacation, or other situations .

Can locum physician be billed under NPI?

Locum physician services can be billed under the NPI of the doctor absent, with the Q6 modifier (service provided by a locum physician) added to each CPT code on the claim. If the locum physician performs post-op services in the global period—the substitute services do not need to be identified on the claim. Practices must maintain a record of patients seen by the locum physician (including the locum’s NPI), and this listing should be made available to commercial insurance carriers if needed.

What is locum tenens?

Locum Tenens Definition: A locum tenens is considered a substitute physician, who is only intended to fill in for an absent physician and does not plan to join the urgent care practice. Locum physicians may only practice and bill for 60 days.

Establishing a VCA

Either a community provider or a local VA medical facility may initiate the process for establishing a VCA.

Certification and Credentialing

Once a VCA is signed, it is active for three (3) years. Community providers must maintain a high level of quality of care performance by staying in compliance with VA’s certification standards through the entire length of the agreement.

Referrals and Authorizations

Once a VCA is signed by a community provider and local VA medical facility, the community provider will be notified to begin receiving referrals and authorizations from VA to provide care to Veterans. The referral and authorization contain the scope of services authorized for the community provider to provide to a specific Veteran.

Claims and Payments

With VCAs, community providers submit claims directly to VA using electronic data interchange (EDI) or by mailing the claim to the address contained within the referral.

Frequently Asked Questions

For community providers who are part of a group practice, can the group practice sign one VCA for the entire practice?

Contact Us

If you are a community provider interested in establishing a VCA to provide care for Veterans, contact the nearest VA medical facility by using the VA Facility Locator.

Provider Payments

Once you file a claim for care provided to a Veteran or Veteran family member, VA adjudicates the claim and provides an electronic payment. VA is required to pay all medical and dental claims from providers electronically.

Electronic Payments

The U.S. Department of Treasury published a final rule on Electronic Funds Transfer (31 C.F.R. 208) that requires all federal payments be made electronically. This requirement includes payments made to community medical and dental providers.

Audit for Recovery of Community Care Overpayments

VA is committed to maintaining a strong relationship with community providers, who are critical to ensuring Veterans receive timely, high-quality care, while also ensuring proper stewardship of public funds.

on This Page

Establishing A VCA

  • Either a community provider or a local VA medical facility may initiate the process for establishing a VCA. 1. Providers interested in establishing a VCA should contact their closest VA medical facility. 2. In some cases, VA medical facilities may reach out to community providers to request they establish a VCA where there is a need for services no...
See more on va.gov

Certification and Credentialing

  • An approved VCA is active for three years. Community providers must maintain a high level of quality-of-care performance by staying in compliance with VA’s certification standards through the entire length of the agreement.
See more on va.gov

Referrals and Authorizations

  • Referrals and authorizations are sent to community providers through a system called HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM), an electronic referrals management system. HSRM allows community providers and VA to better manage community care referrals and authorizations using a standardized process based on clinical and business rules. Community providers can also rec…
See more on va.gov

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