Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Vendor would bill for drugs, collect deductibles.

If a new proposal from Medicare is approved, medical offices may have another option for ordering drugs that could cut the cost, and the hassle, considerably.

A Feb. 28 proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would offer doctors an alternative way to order drugs. You could enroll with competitively selected pharmaceutical vendors starting Jan. 1 and bill Medicare only for the administration services.
 
The vendor would bill Medicare for the drugs and would be responsible for collecting any deductibles and coinsurance from the beneficiary. Physicians may obtain drugs elsewhere under specified emergency circumstances, CMS says.

The provision excludes drugs covered under the new prescription drug benefit. You can view the rule at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont05.html.