Medicare Blog

when billing medicare, how do you know what is the initial treatment date

by Dedrick Haley Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

The date your coverage starts depends on which month you sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period. Coverage always starts on the first of the month. If you qualify for Premium-free Part A: Your Part A coverage starts the month you turn 65.

Full Answer

How do I determine the date of a Medicare notification?

This date is either the postmark from the written notification sent to the CMS Central Office via mail by the Medicare contractor, or the date an email was received from the Medicare contractor by the CMS Central Office, whichever is first.

When does my Medicare coverage start?

Medicare coverage starts based on when you sign up and which sign-up period you’re in. Generally, when you turn 65. This is called your Initial Enrollment Period. It lasts for 7 months, starting 3 months before you turn 65, and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. My birthday is on the first of the month.

How is the Medicare billing rate (inpatient) determined?

Where this is the provider's first year in the program, the A/B MAC (A) determines this rate based on the provider's books and records the appropriate billing rate for services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries. Computing Medicare Billing Rate (Inpatient) The Medicare billing rate is determined in the following manner:

How do you calculate the time value of money for Medicare?

The Medicare contractor notifies the CMS Regional and Central Office. The Medicare contractor reprocesses and reconciles the claims. The reprocessing in dicates the revised outlier payments are $700,000. Using the values above, determine the rate that will be used for the time value of money: (4.625 / 365) * 549 = 6.9565%

What is initial treatment date?

Initial Treatment Date - The Initial Treatment Date (ITD) is the date of the initial treatment (visit) or the date of exacerbation of the existing condition. It is not the first date that a chiropractor saw the patient in their office.

Which date does Medicare consider date of service?

The start date for a particular Medicare claim is considered to be the date the service is provided to the patient or the “From” date recorded on the claim form. The end date for Medicare timely filing is exactly one full calendar year after the start date.

What is a date of service?

Date of Service means the date on which the client receives medical services or items, unless otherwise specified in the appropriate provider rules.

What is the billing process for Medicare?

Billing for Medicare When a claim is sent to Medicare, it's processed by a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). The MAC evaluates (or adjudicates) each claim sent to Medicare, and processes the claim. This process usually takes around 30 days.

What is timely for billing Medicare?

Medicare claims must be filed no later than 12 months (or 1 full calendar year) after the date when the services were provided. If a claim isn't filed within this time limit, Medicare can't pay its share.

What is retroactive Medicare entitlement?

(3) Retroactive Medicare entitlement involving State Medicaid Agencies, where a State Medicaid Agency recoups payment from a provider or supplier 6 months or more after the date the service was furnished to a dually eligible beneficiary.

What is the meaning of date of service in medical billing?

The date of service is the date of responsibility for the patient by the billing physician. This would also include when a patient's dies during the calendar month.

What does date of service for this requested mean?

Related Definitions Requested Service Date means the date requested by Customer for the commencement of Service.

How do you bill a service?

To make a service invoice, follow this simple guide to invoicing:Add Your Business Logo. ... Include Your Contact Details. ... Add the Client's Contact Information. ... Assign a Unique Invoice Number. ... Include the Invoice Date. ... Set the Payment Due Date. ... Create an Itemized List of Services. ... Add the Total Amount Due.More items...•

Can you retroactively bill Medicare after credentialing is complete?

Answer: The short answer is Yes, but there are some specifics that you need to be aware of. Retroactively billing Medicare is critical for most organizations as providers often start without having a Medicare number.

What is a rap in Medicare billing?

Submitting a Request for Anticipated Payment (RAP) under the Home Health Patient-Driven Groupings Model.

Can I submit claims directly to Medicare?

Usually, Medicare providers send claims directly to Medicare so their members don't need to do a thing. However, in some rare cases, people in Original Medicare may need to file their own claims.

What do providers need to determine regarding the date of service?

Providers need to determine the Medicare rules and regulations concerning the date of service and submit claims appropriately . Be sure your billing and coding staffs are aware of this information.

What is the date of service for a physician certification?

The date of service for the Certification is the date the physician completes and signs the plan of care. The date of the Recertification is the date the physician completes the review.

What is the date of service for clinical laboratory services?

Generally, the date of service for clinical laboratory services is the date the specimen was collected. If the specimen is collected over a period that spans two calendar dates, the date of service is the date the collection ended. There are three exceptions to the general date of service rule for clinical laboratory tests:

What is the date of service for ESRD?

The date of service for a patient beginning dialysis is the date of their first dialysis through the last date of the calendar month. For continuing patients, the date of service is the first through the last date of the calendar month. For transient patients or less than a full month service, these can be billed on a per diem basis. The date of service is the date of responsibility for the patient by the billing physician. This would also include when a patient’s dies during the calendar month. When submitting a date of service span for the monthly capitation procedure codes, the day/units should be coded as “1”.

What is a CPO in Medicare?

CPO is physician supervision of a patient receiving complex and/or multidisciplinary care as part of Medicare covered services provided by a participating home health agency or Medicare approved hospice. Providers must provide physician supervision of a patient involving 30 or more minutes of the physician's time per month to report CPO services. The claim for CPO must not include any other services and is only billed after the end of the month in which CPO was provided. The date of service submitted on the claim can be the last date of the month or the date in which at least 30 minutes of time is completed.

What is a radiology PC/TC indicator?

These services will have a PC/TC indicator of “1” on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Relative Value File. The technical component is billed on the date the patient had the test performed. When billing a global service, the provider can submit the professional component with a date of service reflecting when the review and interpretation is completed or can submit the date of service as the date the technical component was performed. This will allow ease of processing for both Medicare and the supplemental payers. If the provider did not perform a global service and instead performed only one component, the date of service for the technical component would the date the patient received the service and the date of service for the professional component would be the date the review and interpretation is completed.

How long does a cardiovascular monitoring service take?

Some of these monitoring services may take place at a single point in time, others may take place over 24 or 48 hours, or over a 30-day period. The determination of the date of service is based on the description of the procedure code and the time listed. When the service includes a physician review and/or interpretation and report, the date of service is the date the physician completes that activity. If the service is a technical service, the date of service is the date the monitoring concludes based on the description of the service. For example, if the description of the procedure code includes 30 days of monitoring and a physician interpretation and report, then the date of service will be no earlier than the 30th day of monitoring and will be the date the physician completed the professional component of the service.

When does Part A coverage start?

If you qualify for Premium-free Part A: Your Part A coverage starts the month you turn 65. (If your birthday is on the first of the month, coverage starts the month before you turn 65.)

When does insurance start?

Generally, coverage starts the month after you sign up.

How long do you have to sign up for a health insurance plan?

You also have 8 months to sign up after you or your spouse (or your family member if you’re disabled) stop working or you lose group health plan coverage (whichever happens first).

What is a health plan?

In general, a health plan offered by an employer or employee organization that provides health coverage to employees and their families.

When do hospitals report Medicare Part A retirement?

When a beneficiary cannot recall his/her retirement date, but knows it occurred prior to his/her Medicare entitlement dates, as shown on his/her Medicare card, hospitals report his/her Medicare Part A entitlement date as the date of retirement. 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. If the beneficiary worked beyond his/her Medicare Part A entitlement date, had coverage under a group health plan during that time, and cannot recall his/her precise date of retirement but the hospital determines it has been at least five years since the beneficiary retired, the hospital enters the retirement date as five years retrospective to the date of admission. (Example: Hospitals report the retirement date as January 4, 1998, if the date of admission is January 4, 2003)

How to determine primary payer for Medicare?

The CMS Questionnaire should be used to determine the primary payer of the beneficiary’s claims. This questionnaire consists of six parts and lists questions to ask Medicare beneficiaries. For institutional providers, ask these questions during each inpatient or outpatient admission, with the exception of policies regarding Hospital Reference Lab Services, Recurring Outpatient Services, and Medicare+Choice Organization members. (Further information regarding these policies can be found in Chapter 3 of the MSP Online Manual.) Use this questionnaire as a guide to help identify other payers that may be primary to Medicare. Beginning with Part 1, ask the patient each question in sequence. Comply with all instructions that follow an answer. If the instructions direct you to go to another part, have the patient answer, in sequence, each question under the new part. Note: There may be situations where more than one insurer is primary to Medicare (e.g., Black Lung Program and Group Health Plan). Be sure to identify all possible insurers.

How long is the ESRD coordination period?

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.

Why did CMS develop an operational policy?

CMS developed an operational policy to help alleviate a major concern that hospitals have had regarding completion of the CMS Questionnaire.

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.

How long does it take for Medicare to change the date of an injury?

You must demonstrate that the Medicare patient has an acute injury status or chronic condition, and not maintenance. If the patient is being seen within 30 days of the last visit, and it is a follow up visit, the injury date would not change. If it is more than 30 days since the last visit, and it is not maintenance, then a new injury onset date must be used. If it is known, you can use it, but generally the onset date matches the date of initial treatment. As expected, the documentation must support the dates. Any variance in the record, is an audit flag!

Does a superbill always change the date of service?

When we get the providers superbills on his Medicare patients he is writing down a new onset date for them every time. On the superbill it always gets changed to the date of service. From what I understand of Medicare's policy the onset date can be changed if the patient experiences an acute exacerbation. I'm assuming that these patients are experiencing an acute exacerbation. My problem is we get a spreadsheet from the office and this also has the onset date listed on it and this I'm being told is from the medical record. These dates don't always match the onset date of the superbill (which is always put down as the DOS)

What is 90.4.2 billing?

90.4.2 - Billing for Liver Transplant and Acquisition Services

What is Medicare 20.1.2.7?

20.1.2.7 - Procedure for Medicare contractors to Perform and Record Outlier Reconciliation Adjustments

What is 70.1 in medical billing?

70.1 - Providers Using All-Inclusive Rates for Inpatient Part A Charges

What is 10.4 in Medicare?

10.4 - Payment of Nonphysician Services for Inpatients

When TC and PC are billed separately, should providers report the name, address and NPI of the location where?

When the TC and PC are billed separately (not billed globally), providers should report the name, address and NPI of the location where each component was performed. If the billing provider has an enrolled practice location at the address where the service was performed, the billing provider/supplier may report their own name, address and NPI in Items 32 and 32a (or the 837P electronic claim equivalent).

Is global billing acceptable?

Global billing is acceptable when both the TC and PC are performed by the same entity and both the TC and the PC are furnished within the same MPFS payment locality. The TC and PC may be furnished in different locations as long as they are furnished within the same MPFS, payment locality.

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