Wiki Claims submitted and Signature Rule

[kamkole]

Does anyone have any information regarding the Signature Rule that you can't submit your claim without your physician's signature being present on their progress notes first? This really holds up our claims going out because we have several providers that don't sign their progress notes for weeks!

Thanks for any input!

 

[j.berkshire]

I just received a letter from our carrier medical director discussing signatures. The CERT contractors are denying claims for records received without a legible signature. The CMD letter states, "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has a long-standing published requirement that a legible, valid signature (identifier) must be present on all substantiating documentation for claims billed to Medicare." It goes on to identify "not acceptable" signatures including: 1.) Illegible, unrecognized handwritten signatures or initials; 2.) unsigned "typewritten" progress notes with a typed name only; 3.) unverified or unauthorized electronic signatures, 4.) no indication of the rendering physician/practitioner.

 

[kamkole]

We always make sure the progress note has been signed on CERT requests, but we weren't aware that the original claim couldn't be sent without a signature first. We usually send the claim and then the dictation is signed a few days later. I was just curious what other practices were doing.

 

[Walker22]

I make all my providers finish their notes and sign before I bill the claim. Once they figure out they won't get paid until they complete their work, they tend to be a little speedier in completing it...

 

[mitchellde]

I agree with Walker, you need the signed documentation befor you can complete the claim.