Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

You may have heard that physicians are responsible for the details on their enrollment applications, but CMS now makes it crystal clear that this is the case. According to the agency's recent updates to Chapter 15 of the Medicare Program Integrity Manual, when filling out your enrollment application, you can make the "correspondence address" any contact you choose, including a billing agency, management services organization, chain home office, or attorney.

But, CMS makes clear, "The provider, however, remains ultimately responsible for all Medicare enrollment-related correspondence that the contractor sends to him/her/it at this address. For instance, if a provider uses its chain home office as the correspondence address, the provider is still the party responsible for replying to revalidation letters, requests for information, etc."

To read the updates to the Integrity Manual, visit www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/Downloads/R435PI.pdf.