Orthopedic Coding Alert

Medicare postpones July 6 implementation and works to streamline enrollment process.You don't have to worry about your PECOS eligibility, at least for the time being. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the implementation of changes in its Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) that would automatically reject claims based on orders, certifications, and referrals made by providers who have not been approved into the system by July 6.PECOS is the electronic system used to enroll physicians and eligible professionals into the Medicare program. Despite more than 800,000 physicians and other health professionals enrolling in PECOS, some providers have encountered problems. This has prompted CMS to postpone the implementation of the automatic rejection policy, while simultaneously updating and streamlining the application process.Retrospect: CMS issued an interim final regulation on May 5 implementing provisions of the Affordable Care Act that permit only a Medicare enrolled physician or [...]