Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Question: Our doctor uses dictation because he has arthritis and therefore can’t write effectively with a pen. However, we are still having him sign documentation because we know rubber stamp signatures aren’t accepted by Medicare. Is there a way around this?

Answer: In your case, yes there is. Most Part B practices know that a practitioner must either submit a handwritten or electronic signature for services that they order or provide, and that stamped signatures aren’t acceptable. However, CMS made a new exception to that policy in May with MLN Matters article MM8219.

“CMS will permit the use of a rubber stamp for signature in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in the case of an author with a physical disability that can provide proof to a CMS contractor of his/her inability to sign their signature due to their disability,” CMS says in the document, which was effective June 18. “By affixing the rubber stamp, the provider is certifying that they have reviewed the document.”

To read the complete article, visit www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNMattersArticles.