Home Health & Hospice Week

Trying to troubleshoot your claims err-ors? One HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor is offering a helping hand.

HHH MAC CGS offers a web page that lists the top claim submission errors, by reason code, for both home health and hospice. For example, reason code 38200 indicating a duplicate claim tops the list for both home health agencies and hospice.

Tip: "When using batch file transfer software, have an internal procedure in place to ensure batches of billing transactions are deleted from the software once they are submitted to Medicare," CGS recommends.

Warning: "As a Medicare provider, you are responsible to ensure the information submitted on your billing transaction is correct and compliant with Medicare regulations," CGS advises on the site. "Providers should be aware that action may be taken when they demonstrate a pattern of submitting claims inappropriately, incorrectly or erroneously, including a referral to the Office of Inspector Gene-ral (OIG) for Medicare."

Access CGS's site, which covers 14 other HHA codes and eight hospices codes, at http://cgsmedicare.com/hhh/education/materials/CSEs.html.