New form doesn't include major changes, but you must make the switch.It may seem like just yesterday that you transitioned to the latest version of the Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN), but it's actually time again to upgrade to a newer version of the form.The latest version of the ABN form CMS-R-193, with the release date of March 20, 2011, is now available at
www.cms.gov/BNI by clicking the "revised ABN" link, said CMS's Donna Williamson during a June 28 CMS Open Door Forum. Although the form doesn't include any substantial changes, mandatory use of the new version begins on Nov. 1, 2011.A caller to the forum asked why the form was updated in the absence of substantial changes, noting many practices find it cumbersome and expensive to switch over to new forms. CMS's Stewart Streimer replied that the current ABN form had an expiration date on it, and forms are [...]