Home Health & Hospice Week

Don't miss these crucial deadlines in the Cahaba-to-CIGNA transition, or your Medicare payments will be cut off.

1st deadline: You must return a revised CMS-588 EFT Authorization Agreement to CIGNA Government Services as soon as you receive a letter from CIGNA requesting it, CIGNA says in a message to providers. The letters to HHAs and hospices went out in early March and providers must return the agreement letters by May 6.

In addition to the EFT agreement, you must submit your completed CMS-588 form and a voided check or bank letter of verification, CIGNA explains.

"If you fail to complete and return the updated EFT Authorization and account information to CGS, your payments will be discontinued after the transition," CIGNA warns. "However, completion of this information now will ensure that your electronic payments continue."

2nd deadline: On June 13, HHAs and hospices currently serviced by Cahaba must start submitting claims to CIGNA with new contractor ID number 15004, CIGNA says in a separate message. That ID number will replace Cahaba's current 00011 ID number.

"Beginning on [June 13], the Current Con-tractor IDs are no longer valid, and you must use the NEW MAC Number or claims will reject," CIGNA points out. On that date, Cahaba will turn over all claims processing, customer service, payments, and in-process operations such as appeals and enrollment applications to CIGNA, "regardless of the date of service," the MAC says.