Medicare Blog

what does it mean when medicare requests info on referring provider when billing

by Andre Cassin Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Medicare requires the ordering/referring provider information for the following: Medicare covered services and items that are the result of a physician’s order or referral Parenteral and enteral nutrition Immunosuppressive drug claims

Referring physician - is a physician who requests an item or service for the beneficiary for which payment may be made under the Medicare program.Jan 1, 2022

Full Answer

When does Medicare require the ordering/referring provider information?

Phase 1 of the ordering/referring requirement was not notify billing providers when an ordering/referring provider submitted on a claim form was not eligible. When phase 2 of the requirement is implemented, claims will be denied if the ordering/referring provider is not eligible or enrolled with Medicare. CMS is required to give ample notice prior to implementing phase 2 …

Do you have to refer a patient to Medicare?

Oct 19, 2020 · DN - Referring Provider; DK - Ordering Provider; DQ - Supervising Provider; Provider's name included a middle name, middle initial, or credentials; Provider is not enrolled as an ordering/referring provider in Medicare; Next Step. If claim was deemed unprocessable, submit a new, corrected claim; Verify information in Item 17 or electronic equivalent

How do I report the ordering/referring information for Medicare Part B?

Feb 01, 2022 · A: An ordering/referring provider is the individual who orders or refers an item or service for a Medicare beneficiary (e.g., laboratory diagnostic tests, imaging services, specialty services, durable medical equipment) that will be furnished and billed by another provider or supplier (e.g., laboratory, imaging center, specialist, DME supplier).

What is the billing provider type for a referring provider?

To bill a referred or requested service to Medicare, specialist referrals or requests for diagnostic imaging and pathology services must comply with all of these: the Health Insurance Act 1973 Health Insurance Regulations 2018 Health Insurance (Pathology Services …

Does Medicare require a referring provider on claims?

Medicare requires the ordering/referring provider information for the following: Medicare covered services and items that are the result of a physician's order or referral.Dec 28, 2015

What does referring provider mean?

The Referring Provider is the individual who directed the patient for care to the provider rendering the services being reported.

Can referring and rendering provider be the same?

Under Department of Human Services (DHS) guidelines, it is important to note that the referring provider should not be the same as the rendering provider. If a referring provider is not required, then it should not be billed.

What is the difference between attending physician and referring physician?

WARNING: A referring physician is not necessarily the attending physician. The attending physician, by definition, is the one chosen by the patient as having the most significant role in the determination and delivery of the individual's medical care.

Is referring provider the same as ordering provider?

Referring physician - is a physician who requests an item or service for the beneficiary for which payment may be made under the Medicare program. Ordering physician - is a physician or, when appropriate, a non-physician practitioner who orders non-physician services for the patient.Jan 29, 2018

What is the difference between service provider and billing provider?

– Individual Rendering/Servicing Provider: A provider who does not bill Medicaid directly and who prescribes or refers items or services through a Group, Facility, Agency, Organization or Individual Sole Proprietor. – Billing Provider: A provider who submits claims and/or receives payment for an Individual provider.

What is the difference between billing NPI and rendering NPI?

Rendering NPI is the same as the Billing NPI The receiver of the claim (e.g. the payer) is then to assume that the rendering provider is the same as the billing provider. Errors can occur when you supply a type 2 (organizational NPI) as the rendering providers NPI.Oct 13, 2015

What is the difference between billing and rendering provider?

The Billing Provider is instructing the insurance payor who is submitting the claims for payment and where reimbursement should be sent. The supervising provider is the individual who provides oversight of the rendering provider and the care being reported.

Who is the authorizing provider?

The provider under whose authority an order is placed. This person can be an admitting, attending or trainee prescriber but not a student prescriber. The authorizing provider in Epic-speak almost always pertains to ordering workflows.

Who is supervising provider?

Supervising physician means a licensed physician who is registered by the Board to supervise a physician assistant.

What is a billing provider?

Billing Provider means an individual, agent, business, corporation, or other entity who, in connection with submission of claims to the Department, receives or directs payment from the Department on behalf of a performing provider and has been delegated the authority to obligate or act on behalf of the performing ...

Who completes an attending physician statement?

An Attending Physician Statement should be completed by a practicing physician with a doctoral degree, if possible. An insurance company may discount an APS completed by a non-physician treating professional, such as a nurse practitioner, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed physical therapist.Feb 10, 2021

Who maintains the Medicare coding?

The National Uniform Billing Committee ( NUBC) maintains lists of approved coding for the form. Medicare Administrative Contractors servicing both Part A and Part B lines of business (A/B MACs (A) and (HHH)) responsible for receiving institutional claims also maintain lists of codes used by Medicare.

What is an ordering provider?

A: An ordering/referring provider is the individual who orders or refers an item or service for a Medicare beneficiary (e.g., laboratory diagnostic tests, imaging services, specialty services, durable medical equipment) that will be furnished and billed by another provider or supplier (e.g., laboratory, imaging center, specialist, DME supplier).

What is a CMS 1450?

The Form CMS-1450, also known as the UB-04, is the standard claim form to bill Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) when a paper claim is allowed . In addition to billing Medicare, the 837I and Form CMS1450 may be suitable for billing various government and some private insurers.

When do hospitals report Medicare beneficiaries?

If the beneficiary is a dependent under his/her spouse's group health insurance and the spouse retired prior to the beneficiary's Medicare Part A entitlement date, hospitals report the beneficiary's Medicare entitlement date as his/her retirement date.

What is secondary payer?

Medicare is the Secondary Payer when Beneficiaries are: 1 Treated for a work-related injury or illness. Medicare may pay conditionally for services received for a work-related illness or injury in cases where payment from the state workers’ compensation (WC) insurance is not expected within 120 days. This conditional payment is subject to recovery by Medicare after a WC settlement has been reached. If WC denies a claim or a portion of a claim, the claim can be filed with Medicare for consideration of payment. 2 Treated for an illness or injury caused by an accident, and liability and/or no-fault insurance will cover the medical expenses as the primary payer. 3 Covered under their own employer’s or a spouse’s employer’s group health plan (GHP). 4 Disabled with coverage under a large group health plan (LGHP). 5 Afflicted with permanent kidney failure (End-Stage Renal Disease) and are within the 30-month coordination period. See ESRD link in the Related Links section below for more information. Note: For more information on when Medicare is the Secondary Payer, click the Medicare Secondary Payer link in the Related Links section below.

Does Medicare pay for black lung?

Federal Black Lung Benefits - Medicare does not pay for services covered under the Federal Black Lung Program. However, if a Medicare-eligible patient has an illness or injury not related to black lung, the patient may submit a claim to Medicare. For further information, contact the Federal Black Lung Program at 1-800-638-7072.

Does Medicare pay for the same services as the VA?

Veteran’s Administration (VA) Benefits - Medicare does not pay for the same services covered by VA benefits.

Is Medicare a primary or secondary payer?

Providers must determine if Medicare is the primary or secondary payer; therefore, the beneficiary must be queried about other possible coverage that may be primary to Medicare. Failure to maintain a system of identifying other payers is viewed as a violation of the provider agreement with Medicare.

What information does Medicare require?

Medicare requires the ordering/referring provider information for the following: Medicare covered services and items that are the result of a physician’s order or referral. Parenteral and enteral nutrition. Immunosuppressive drug claims. Hepatitis B claims.

Why is my Medicare claim denied?

There are all sorts of reasons why a Medicare claim may be denied. Sometimes, it’s because of non-coverage. More often, it’s because of human error. Many human errors are due to misinformation; but, just as many (if not more) are the result of complacency. For example, let’s consider item 17 on the CMS-1500 claim form.

What to do if your claim did not pass the ordering/referring provider edits?

If your claim did not initially pass the Ordering/Referring provider edits, you may file an appeal through the standard claims appeals process or work through your A/B MAC or DME MAC.

What is a referral physician?

Referring physician is a physician who requests an item or service for the beneficiary for which payment may be made under the Medicare program. Ordering physician is a physician or, when appropriate, a non-physician practitioner, who orders non-physician services for the patient. See Pub. 100-02, Chapter 15 for non-physician practitioner rules.

What is informational message?

Providers billing services that require the reporting of an ordering/referring physician or NPP, including laboratories, imaging centers, DMEPOS suppliers, and HHAs get an informational message if the ordering/referring or attending physician/NPP reported on the claim does not meet the three basic requirements for ordering/referring. Currently, informational messages alert the billing provider that the identification of the ordering/referring provider is missing, incomplete, or invalid, or that the ordering/referring provider is not eligible to order or refer. The informational message on an adjusted claim that did not pass the edits indicates the claim/service lacked information that was needed for adjudication. The informational messages used are identified below:

What is Medicare 6405?

The Affordable Care Act, Section 6405, requires physicians and other eligible Non-Physician Practitioners (NPPs) to enroll in the Medicare Program to order/refer items or services for Medicare beneficiaries, including those physicians and other eligible NPPs who do not and will not send claims to a Medicare Contractor for the services they furnish.

How long do you have to give CMS notice before referring?

CMS will give providers at least 60 days notice before the ordering/referring provider claim edit is applied. Physicians and others who are eligible to order/refer items or services need to be enrolled in Medicare and must be of a specialty that is eligible to order and refer.

What is a DMEPOS provider?

1. A provider “orders” non-physician items or services for the beneficiary, such as Durable Medical Equipment , Prosthetics , Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS), clinical laboratory services, or imaging services; and. 2. A provider “certifies” home health services for a beneficiary.

What does "certified" mean in home health?

2. A provider “certifies” home health services for a beneficiary. The health care industry uses the terms “ordered,” “referred,” and “certified” interchangeably. CMS uses the term “ordered/referred” on its website and in educational materials directed to a broad provider audience.

I. Background

To participate in the Medicare program, a provider must typically complete either a CMS-855A, CMS-855B, CMS-855I or CMS-855S [3] enrollment application, each of which requires that the provider disclose their practice or office address.

II. Failure to Meet Provider Requirement to Maintain Active Enrollment Status

Over the past year, our firm has represented more physicians, home health agencies and other providers than ever before in challenging proposed Medicare revocation actions. As we indicated in an article on ZPIC audits last March, program integrity contractors are aggressively conducting site visits of enrolled providers.

III. What Occurs if a Medicare Contractor Believes that a Provider is Not Operational?

What does it mean for a provider’s practice or office to be “operational” ? As set out under 42 C.F.R. § 424.502, the term operational:

IV. A Look at the Regulatory Bases for Revocation

As reflected under 42 CFR §424.535 (a) (1)- (14), there are fourteen regulatory bases for revocation that may be relied upon by the government. This article focuses on only one of these reasons for revocation – a provider’s failure to notify Medicare of a change in its practice location.

V. Impact of a Medicare Revocation Action

Simply put, if your Medicare billing privileges are revoked, you will be barred from participating in the Medicare program from the date of the revocation until the end of the re-enrollment bar that has been identified in the revocation letter. The re-enrollment bar lasts from 1 – 3 years.

VI. Appealing a Medicare Revocation Action

As reflected in Section IV above, the business impact of a revocation action on your practice can be devastating. If you are facing a revocation action, we strongly recommend that you engage experienced health law counsel to represent you in the process.

VII. Conclusion

The revocation of a provider’s Medicare billing number often comes as a shock. It is never expected and few providers are prepared to effectively respond to the challenges presented by the hyper-strict requirements of the revocation appeals process.

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