
nies to process claims and perform related administrative services for the pro - gram’s beneficiaries and health care providers. Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and personal care services. The Health Insurance As… The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration, is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state government…Medicaid
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
What is a Medicare supplier?
•Supplier means a physician or other practitioner, or an entity other than a provider that furnishes health care services under Medicare. A supplier must meet certain requirements and enroll as described in Chapter 10 of the Medicare Program Integrity Manual.
What does it mean when a provider accepts Medicare beneficiaries?
In the agreement between CMS and a provider, the provider agrees to accept Medicare beneficiaries for care and treatment. The provider cannot impose any limitations with respect to care and treatment of Medicare beneficiaries that it does not also impose on all other persons seeking care and treatment.
What is a Medicare Part A Fiscal Intermediary?
Since Medicare’s inception in 1966, private health care insurers have processed medical claims for Medicare beneficiaries. Originally these entities were known as Part A Fiscal Intermediaries (FI) and Part B carriers.
What is an Original Medicare claim?
other health care provider, or supplier files a claim for Part A or Part B services in Original Medicare. It explains what the doctor, other health care provider, or supplier billed for, the Medicare-approved amount, how much Medicare paid, and what you must pay. Original Medicare—Original Medicare is a fee-for-service health plan

Which organization can reference the Medicare Claims Processing Manual?
the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC)Providers sending professional and supplier claims to Medicare on paper must use Form CMS-1500 in a valid version. This form is maintained by the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC), an industry organization in which CMS participates.
Who processes Medicare claims in California?
Noridian Healthcare SolutionsNoridian Healthcare Solutions is the Medicare Administrative Contractor for California and is responsible for processing all Medicare fee-for-service Part A and B claims.
Which organization is responsible for the administration of Medicare and Medicaid CMS services?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
How do providers submit claims to Medicare?
Contact your doctor or supplier, and ask them to file a claim. If they don't file a claim, call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048. Ask for the exact time limit for filing a Medicare claim for the service or supply you got.
Who is the Mac for California Medicare?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently selected Noridian Healthcare Solutions to continue as its Part A and Part B Medicare Administrative Contractor for Jurisdiction E (JE) after an open competitive procurement process.
What is the role of the CMS?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is the U.S. federal agency that works with state governments to manage the Medicare program, and administer Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance program.
Who is in charge at CMS?
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where she will oversee programs including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the HealthCare.gov health insurance marketplace.
What is the difference between the FDA and CMS?
Although FDA and CMS regulate different aspects of health care—FDA regulates the marketing and use of medical products, whereas CMS regulates reimbursement for healthcare products and services for two of the largest healthcare programs in the country (Medicare and Medicaid)—both agencies share a critical interest in ...
What is a CPN in BCRC?
If a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment has already occurred when you first report the case, a CPN will be issued. A CPN will also be issued when the BCRC is notified of settlement, judgement, award or other payment through an insurer/workers’ compensation entity’s MMSEA Section 111 report. The CPN provides conditional payment information and advises you on what actions must be taken. You have 30 calendar days to respond. The following items must be forwarded to the BCRC if they have not previously been sent:
What is a RAR letter for MSP?
After the MSP occurrence is posted, the BCRC will send you the Rights and Responsibilities (RAR) letter. The RAR letter explains what information is needed from you and what information you can expect from the BCRC. A copy of the Rights and Responsibilities Letter can be found in the Downloads section at the bottom of this page. Please note: If Medicare is pursuing recovery directly from the insurer/workers’ compensation entity, you and your attorney or other representative will receive recovery correspondence sent to the insurer/workers’ compensation entity. For more information on insurer/workers’ compensation entity recovery, click the Insurer Non-Group Health Plan Recovery link.
What is conditional payment in Medicare?
A conditional payment is a payment Medicare makes for services another payer may be responsible for.
What is a CPN?
If a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment has already occurred when you first report the case, a CPN will be issued. A CPN will also be issued when the BCRC is notified of settlement, judgement, award or other payment through an insurer/workers’ compensation entity’s MMSEA Section 111 report. The CPN provides conditional payment information and advises you on what actions must be taken. You have 30 calendar days to respond. The following items must be forwarded to the BCRC if they have not previously been sent: 1 Proof of Representation/Consent to Release documentation, if applicable; 2 Proof of any items and services that are not related to the case, if applicable; 3 All settlement documentation if the beneficiary is providing proof of any items and services not related to the case; 4 Procurement costs (attorney fees and other expenses) the beneficiary paid; and 5 Documentation for any additional or pending settlements, judgments, awards, or other payments related to the same incident.
Why is Medicare conditional?
Medicare makes this conditional payment so you will not have to use your own money to pay the bill. The payment is "conditional" because it must be repaid to Medicare when a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment is made.
What information is sent to the BCRC?
The information sent to the BCRC must clearly identify: 1) the date of settlement, 2) the settlement amount, and 3) the amount of any attorney's fees and other procurement costs borne by the beneficiary (Medicare may only take beneficiary-borne costs into account).
What is a POR in Medicare?
A Proof of Representation (POR) authorizes an individual or entity (including an attorney) to act on your behalf. Note: In some special circumstances, the potential third-party payer can submit Proof of Representation giving the third-party payer permission to enter into discussions with Medicare’s entities.
What is denied service?
The denied item or service is preventing the Beneficiary or Enrollee from receiving additional related items or services (such as the same items or services, or items or services that require Medicare coverage of the denied item or service for the related item or service to be covered).
What is the phone number for Medicare appeal?
If a Beneficiary or Enrollee appeal does not appear to be receiving this priority processing, please contact the OMHA Beneficiary Help Line at (844) 419-3358. Other callers please use the OMHA National Toll Free Line for assistance at (855) 556-8475. Content created by Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA)
What is the toll free number for Medicare Advantage?
If you are a Medicare Beneficiary, Medicare Advantage Part C Plan Enrollee or Part D Plan Enrollee, or a representative of a Beneficiary or Enrollee (“Medicare Beneficiary and Enrollee”), and have questions about or need assistance with a request for an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing filed with OMHA, please call the Toll Free OMHA Beneficiary Help Line at (844) 419-3358.
What is a beneficiary or enrollee?
The Beneficiary or Enrollee is financially responsible for related items or services (such as additional dates of service for the same item or services) that have been denied and are being appealed ; or. The denied item or service is preventing the Beneficiary or Enrollee from receiving additional related items or services ...
Does OMHA prioritize appeals?
To help ensure Medicare Beneficiary and Enrollee appeals are adjudicated as quickly as possible, OMHA designates appeals filed by Beneficiaries and Enrollees as priority appeals, with some exceptions. We generally do not prioritize appeals if another party to the appeal (such as a provider, supplier, or Medicaid State Agency) ...
What is a diagnostic service?
A service is “diagnostic” if it is an examination or procedure to which the patient is subjected, or which is performed on materials derived from a hospital outpatient to obtain information to aid in the assessment of a medical condition or the identification of a disease. Among these examinations and tests are diagnostic laboratory services such as hematology and chemistry, diagnostic x-rays, isotope studies, EKGs, pulmonary function tests, psychological tests, and other tests given to determine the nature and severity of an ailment or injury. Hospitals may determine whether services are diagnostic from their internal systems as appropriate.
What is a DME MAC?
The A/B MAC (A), (B), or (HHH), or DME MAC directs initial requests for assistance to the SSO if the problem is caused by difficulties in determining the beneficiary’s correct entitlement status. Examples of situations that may require SSO assistance are:
What is encounter in medical?
The term “encounter” means a direct personal contact in the hospital between a patient and a physician, or other person who is authorized by State law and, if applicable, by hospital staff bylaws to order or furnish services for diagnosis or treatment of the patient. Direct personal contact does not include telephone contacts between a patient and physician. Nor is the compensation arrangement between the physician and the hospital relevant to whether an encounter has occurred. Patients will be treated as hospital outpatients for purposes of billing for certain diagnostic services that are ordered during or as a result of an encounter that occurred while such patients are in an outpatient status at the hospital. If a Medicare outpatient is referred to another provider or supplier for further diagnostic testing or other diagnostic services as a result of an encounter that occurs in this hospital, the hospital is responsible for arranging with the other entity for the furnishing of services. Hospitals are not required to verify that all ordered services are furnished but only to assure that, when it is necessary to refer a patient to an outside entity, the referral is made to a provider or supplier with which the referring hospital an arrangement. This requirement is necessary to assure that billing for services that are furnished is processed through the servicing hospital.
What is M+CO in Medicare?
The provider must ascertain whether the patient is a member of a Medicare + Choice organization (M+CO). If the patient is a member of an M+CO, the provider must contact the M+CO specified by the patient or identified on the patient’s membership card, so the provider may determine whether to submit the claim to the M+CO.
What is noncompliance in Medicare?
Noncompliance will be considered in determining whether the provider is honoring its agreement, under which it may not charge for services for which payment may be made under the Medicare program.
Can a provider collect a deductible?
The provider may collect deductible or coinsurance amounts only where it appears that the patient will owe deductible or coinsurance amounts and where it is routine and customary policy to request similar prepayment from non-Medicare patients with similar benefits that leave patients responsible for a part of the cost of their hospital services. In admitting or registering patients, the provider must ascertain whether beneficiaries have medical insurance coverage. Where beneficiaries have medical insurance coverage, the provider asks the beneficiary if he/she has a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) showing his/her deductible status. If a beneficiary shows that the Part B deductible is met, the provider will not request or require prepayment of the deductible.
What to do if you are not satisfied with the IRE decision?
If you’re not satisfied with the IRE’s reconsideration decision, you may request a decision by OMHA, based on a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or, in certain circumstances, a review of the appeal record by an ALJ or an attorney adjudicator.
What to do if you are not satisfied with QIC?
If you’re not satisfied with the QIC’s reconsideration decision, you may request a decision by OMHA, based on a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or , in certain circumstances, a review of the appeal record by an ALJ or attorney adjudicator.
What is a QIC?
QIC is an independent contractor that didn’t take part in the level 1 decision. The QIC will review your request for a reconsideration and will make a decision.
What is the ABN for Medicare?
If you have Original Medicare and your doctor, other health care provider, or supplier thinks that Medicare probably (or certainly) won’t pay for items or services, he or she may give you a written notice called an ABN (Form CMS-R-131).
What happens if you disagree with a decision?
If you disagree with the decision made at any level of the process, you can generally go to the next level. At each level, you’ll get instructions on how to move to the next level of appeal.
What is an organization determination?
You have the right to ask your plan to provide or pay for items or services you think it should cover, provide, or continue. The decision by the plan is called an “organization determination.” You, your representative, or your doctor can request an organization determination from your plan in advance to make sure that the services are covered. If the plan denies coverage or payment after you receive services, that denial is the organization determination that you can appeal.
What is a home health change of care notice?
The “Home Health Change of Care Notice” is a written notice that your home health agency should give you when your home health plan of care is changing because of one of these:
