Essential to the contracting reform program in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was to acquire competitively procured contracts that conform to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Fifteen new Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), working on both Part A and B claims, will manage about the same intensity of work in for the most part geographically neighboring parts of the US leading to greater consistency in understanding Medicare policies. In addition, they will serve as the central government agency by which supplemental contractors render additional services.While the transition from Carriers and Fiscal Intermediaries to MACs commenced in March 2007, of late the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a template for Medicare providers on how to ready for a switch to a MAC. MACs set about their work on a cutover date, frequently taking a phased state by state approach. CMS advocates that providers pay care to all forms of communication from their recent Carrier or FI and the new MAC. Various electronic methods of communication assist providers stay current with announcements including email listservs and the MAC’s website, especially the FAQs.Prior to Cutover 1. Finish and deliver your Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) arrangements with form CMS-588 at least 60 days before cutover. 2. The new MAC may too request a new Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Trading Partner Agreement. If you do receive a new ID and password, contact the incoming MAC to try these IDs. 3. Get Hold Of your claims processing vendor and clearinghouse and inquire “Are you using the new contractor number or ID of the new MAC, submitter number and logon ID?”Cutover Weekend 1. CMS may have the past Medicare contractor free claims payments a few days early in planning for implementation weekend. 2. Dark days may occur around or over cutover weekends where the Part A provider will have restricted EDI processing and no access to Fiscal Intermediary Standard System to conduct claim entry or claim correction, affirm beneficiary eligibility and claim status, and interactive voice response (IVR) systems may also be unavailable. Providers who currently bill carriers may also go through some moderate access.After Cutover 1. The first 1-2 weeks may be extremely busy at the MAC, which may have new mailing addresses and telephone numbers. Be prepared for some holds up service. 2. Learn the IVR as soon as you can to save time. 3. There may be changes in faxing policies (e.g., for medical records) and in Remittance Advice (RA) coding.From Medical Coding .Net News, a division of Provistas and home of SpeedECoder online coding software.
