Optometry Coding & Billing Alert

CMS hopes new site will be 'easier to browse by audience or topic'

Mention the Medicare Web site to most any coding and billing specialist, and you-ll hear how difficult it can be to find the information you need. CMS hopes to change that image starting December 15, 2005, with a revamped, better organized Web site.

Visit www.cms.hhs.gov after December 15 and you-ll see the new pages, which Medicare -reorganized to make it easier to browse by audience or topic,- the agency says. New -Center- links provide information targeted to specific audiences, such as beneficiaries or providers.

The -Medicare Fee for Service Provider- center includes links to pages developed specifically for physicians, hospitals, and other Medicare providers and suppliers. The -People With Medicare and Medicaid- center has pages designed for beneficiaries.

The new site features a -Browse By Audience- feature, through which you can also view the audience-specific content. For example, clicking on -Physician Center- in the -Browse by Audience- menu takes you to a page featuring links to the National Physician Fee Schedule, CMS manuals and forms and National Correct Coding Initiative information.

The -CMS Programs- area on the home page is divided into primary topic areas, including -Medicare,- -Medicaid,- -Regulations & Guidance- and -Research, Statistics, Data & Systems.- Selecting the -Medicare- topic takes you to an index page divided into categories, including -General Information- and -Billing.-

The redesigned Web site also features improved search functionality from the Google search engine, which CMS hopes will -make it even easier for you to locate information.-

To see the new Web site, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov.