Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

HIPAA requires that practices safeguard their patients’ protected health information (PHI), but Medicare wants to remind clinicians that their personal medical and billing information is important, too.

CMS has compiled an MLN Booklet with tips and tools for Medicare clinicians who use the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). The guidance, titled “Safeguard Your Identity and Privacy Using PECOS,” reminds providers that practice data should be protected to avoid Medicare fraud.

The MLN Booklet touches on several topics that promote privacy. Here’s a sampling:

• Revalidation
• Annual PECOS review
• Enrollment checks for false information
• Password protection
• Paper copies for back-up

For more information, you can find the MLN Booklet at www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/Downloads/ICN-909017-Safeguard-Your-Identity.pdf.