Medicare Blog

how to bill secondary claim to medicare

by Edmond Langosh Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) claims can be submitted electronically to Novitas Solutions via your billing service/clearinghouse, directly through a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) connection, or via Novitasphere portal's batch claim submission or Part B Direct Data Entry (DDE).

Full Answer

Does Medicare automatically Bill secondary insurance?

Medicare usually covers most of your healthcare costs, but if you have other insurance coverage, it can act as a secondary payer for some of the costs.

Can secondary insurance pay claims that are denied by Medicare?

That depends on your contract with the other insurance company and why Medicare denied the claim. Your secondary insurance might be an employer-sponsored plan or Medicaid. It's quite common for those to pay for things that Medicare does not cover.

Will my secondary insurance be compatible with Medicare?

The one that pays second (secondary payer) only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn't cover. The secondary payer (which may be Medicare) may not pay all the uncovered costs. If your group health plan or retiree health coverage is the secondary payer, you may need to enroll in Medicare Part B before your insurance will pay.

What is time frame for billing Medicaid claims?

  • Straight Medicaid claims must be filed within 12 months of the date of service.
  • KIDMED claims must be filed within 60 days from the date of service.
  • Claims for recipients who have Medicare and Medicaid coverage must be filed with the Medicare fiscal intermediary within 12 months of the date of service in order to meet Medicaid's ...

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How do I bill a Medicare secondary claim?

Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) claims can be submitted electronically to Novitas Solutions via your billing service/clearinghouse, directly through a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) connection, or via Novitasphere portal's batch claim submission.

What is the payer code for Medicare secondary?

Use payer code Z for Medicare. Payer codes (Code IDs): A = Working Aged beneficiary/spouse with an EGHP (beneficiary age 65 or over) – Beneficiary must be enrolled in Part A for this Provision to apply (VC 12) B = ESRD beneficiary with EGHP in MSP/ESRD 30-month coordination period (VC 13)

Does Medicare accept secondary electronic claims?

Currently, Medicare does not accept electronically filed claims when there is more than one payer primary to Medicare. Claims that involve more than one primary payer to Medicare must be submitted on the 1500 paper claim form, with all appropriate attachments.

How Does Medicare pay as a secondary payer?

The one that pays second (secondary payer) only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn't cover. The secondary payer (which may be Medicare) may not pay all the remaining costs. If your group health plan or retiree coverage is the secondary payer, you may need to enroll in Medicare Part B before they'll pay.

How do you fill out CMS 1500 when Medicare is secondary?

0:239:21Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) CMS-1500 Submission - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere when the insured. And the patient are the same the biller enters the word. Same if medicare isMoreHere when the insured. And the patient are the same the biller enters the word. Same if medicare is primary this item is left blank.

What is MSP code G?

Primary Payer Code = G. 44. Amount provider was obligated/required to accept from a primary payer as payment in full due to contract/law when that amount is less than charges but higher than amount actually received. An MSP payment may be due.

Does Medicare accept paper secondary claims?

The primary insurer must process the claim in accordance with the coverage provisions of its contract. If, after processing the claim, the primary insurer does not pay in full for the services, submit a claim via paper or electronically, to Medicare for consideration of secondary benefits.

Is Medicare Secondary Payer questionnaire required?

Providers are required to complete a Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire (MSPQ) upon admission of each Medicare patient. A sample of the MSPQ can be found in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Internet-Only Manual (IOM), Publication 100-05, Medicare Secondary Payer Manual, Chapter 3, Section 20.2.

When would a biller most likely submit a claim to secondary insurance?

If a claim has a remaining balance after the primary insurance has paid, you will want to submit the claim to the secondary insurance, if one applies.

Is Medicare always primary or secondary?

Medicare pays first and your group health plan (retiree) coverage pays second . If the employer has 100 or more employees, then the large group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second .

Does Medicare Secondary Payer primary deductible?

“Medicare pays secondary to other insurance (including paying in the deductible) in situations where the other insurance is primary to Medicare.

How do you determine primary and secondary insurance?

How do you determine which health insurance is primary? Determining which health plan is primary is straightforward: “If you are covered under an employer-based plan, that is primary,” Mordo says. If you also were covered under a spouse's plan, that would be secondary, he adds.

When is Medicare a secondary payer?

The primary insurer must process the claim in accordance with the coverage provisions of its contract. If, after processing the claim, the primary insurer does not pay in full for the services, submit a claim via paper or electronically, to Medicare for consideration of secondary benefits.

What is MSP in Medicare?

The MSP provisions apply to situations when Medicare is not the beneficiary’s primary health insurance coverage. Physicians, non-physician practitioners and suppliers are responsible for gathering MSP data to determine whether Medicare is the primary payer by asking Medicare beneficiaries questions concerning their MSP status.

Submitting MSP Claims via FISS DDE or 5010

All MSP claims submitted via FISS DDE or 5010 must report claim adjustment segment (CAS) information. In FISS DDE, the CAS information is entered on the "MSP Payment Information" screen (MAP1719), which is accessed from Claim Page 03 by pressing F11. This is in addition to the normal MSP coding information.

Correcting MSP Claims and Adjustments

Return to Provider (RTP): MSP claims may be corrected out of the RTP file (status/location T B9997). However, providers must ensure that claim adjustment segment (CAS) information is reported on the "MSP Payment Information" screen (MAP1719), accessed from Claim Page 03 by pressing F11.

How long does it take for Medicare to pay a claim?

If the insurance company doesn't pay the claim promptly (usually within 120 days), your doctor or other provider may bill Medicare. Medicare may make a conditional payment to pay the bill, and then later recover any payments the primary payer should have made. If Medicare makes a. conditional payment.

How does Medicare work with other insurance?

When there's more than one payer, "coordination of benefits" rules decide which one pays first. The "primary payer" pays what it owes on your bills first, and then sends the rest to the "secondary payer" (supplemental payer) ...

What is the difference between primary and secondary insurance?

The insurance that pays first (primary payer) pays up to the limits of its coverage. The one that pays second (secondary payer) only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn't cover. The secondary payer (which may be Medicare) may not pay all the uncovered costs.

How many employees does a spouse have to have to be on Medicare?

Your spouse’s employer must have 20 or more employees, unless the employer has less than 20 employees, but is part of a multi-employer plan or multiple employer plan. If the group health plan didn’t pay all of your bill, the doctor or health care provider should send the bill to Medicare for secondary payment.

When does Medicare pay for COBRA?

When you’re eligible for or entitled to Medicare due to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), during a coordination period of up to 30 months, COBRA pays first. Medicare pays second, to the extent COBRA coverage overlaps the first 30 months of Medicare eligibility or entitlement based on ESRD.

What is the phone number for Medicare?

It may include the rules about who pays first. You can also call the Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC) at 1-855-798-2627 (TTY: 1-855-797-2627).

What happens when there is more than one payer?

When there's more than one payer, "coordination of benefits" rules decide which one pays first. The "primary payer" pays what it owes on your bills first, and then sends the rest to the "secondary payer" (supplemental payer) to pay. In some rare cases, there may also be a third payer.

What is secondary payer?

A secondary payer assumes coverage of whatever amount remains after the primary payer has satisfied its portion of the benefit, up to any limit established by the policies of the secondary payer coverage terms.

Who is responsible for making sure their primary payer reimburses Medicare?

Medicare recipients may be responsible for making sure their primary payer reimburses Medicare for that payment. Medicare recipients are also responsible for responding to any claims communications from Medicare in order to ensure their coordination of benefits proceeds seamlessly.

How does Medicare work with insurance carriers?

Generally, a Medicare recipient’s health care providers and health insurance carriers work together to coordinate benefits and coverage rules with Medicare. However, it’s important to understand when Medicare acts as the secondary payer if there are choices made on your part that can change how this coordination happens.

Is Medicare a secondary payer?

Medicare is the secondary payer if the recipient is: Over the age of 65 and covered by an employment-related group health plan as a current employee or the spouse of a current employee in an organization with more than 20 employees.

Does Medicare pay conditional payments?

In any situation where a primary payer does not pay the portion of the claim associated with that coverage, Medicare may make a conditional payment to cover the portion of a claim owed by the primary payer. Medicare recipients may be responsible for making sure their primary payer reimburses Medicare for that payment.

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Submitting MSP Claims Via Fiss DDE Or 5010

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All MSP claims submitted via FISS DDE or 5010 must report claim adjustment segment (CAS) information. In FISS DDE, the CAS information is entered on the "MSP Payment Information" screen (MAP1719), which is accessed from Claim Page 03 by pressing F11. This is in addition to the normal MSP coding informatio…
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Additional Information

  1. Paper (UB-04) claims can only be submitted to CGS for Black Lung related services, or when a provider meets the small provider exception, (CMS Pub. 100-04, Ch. 24§90).
  2. When a beneficiary is entitled to benefits under the Federal Black Lung (BL) Program, and services provided are related to BL, a paper (UB-04) claim must be submitted with MSP coding and the denial...
  1. Paper (UB-04) claims can only be submitted to CGS for Black Lung related services, or when a provider meets the small provider exception, (CMS Pub. 100-04, Ch. 24§90).
  2. When a beneficiary is entitled to benefits under the Federal Black Lung (BL) Program, and services provided are related to BL, a paper (UB-04) claim must be submitted with MSP coding and the denial...
  3. When submitting non-group Health Plan (no fault, liability, worker's compensation) claims for services unrelated to the MSP situation, and no related diagnosis codes are reported, do not include an...

Correcting MSP Claims and Adjustments

  • Return to Provider (RTP):MSP claims may be corrected out of the RTP file (status/location T B9997). However, providers must ensure that claim adjustment segment (CAS) information is reported on the "MSP Payment Information" screen (MAP1719), accessed from Claim Page 03 by pressing F11. Adjustments: Providers may submit adjustments to MSP claims via 5010 or FISS …
See more on cgsmedicare.com

References

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