Medicare Transition Is One Month Away!
September 16, 2013, is the cutover date for transition of the Medicare Part B fee-for-service contractor from Palmetto GBA to Noridian. Although every effort has been made to minimize the burden to practices and to ensure that physicians continue to receive their Medicare payments in a timely fashion after transition, physician practices will have to make some changes in their processes, including but not limited to:
- Electronic Claim Submitters Must Change the Contractor ID (Payor ID) on Their Transmissions: The new ID for Northern California jurisdiction is 01112 and for Southern California jurisdiction it is 01182. NOTE: The change to the Contractor ID should not be made before September 12 for Part B claims.
- Paper Claim Submitters Will Submit Claims to a New Address: These will be announced in upcoming articles and in CMA Medicare Transition Guide.
- New Noridian Inquiry Telephone Number: There will be a new toll-free telephone number — 1 (855) 609-9960 — for all telephone inquiries to Noridian. NOTE: This number will not be activated until September 16, 2013.
For a comprehensive preparation checklist, see CMA’s Medicare Transition Guide.
Physician practices that submit their claims electronically — especially if they are currently direct submitters to Palmetto — may want to consider Early Boarding to avoid any possible issues following the transition. The last day to enroll for Early Boarding is August 30, 2013.
Practices are also encouraged to review the resources available regarding the transition:
- CMA’s Medicare Transition Webpage: CMA has created a dedicated Medicare transition webpage, offering practices the ability to access updates and important information regarding the transition in one easy-to-access location. All resources related to the Medicare transition will be accessible through this page.
- CMA’s Medicare Transition Guide: What Physicians Need to Know: This guide, which members can download free from the CMA website, includes an FAQ that contains information on the transition dates, what will remain the same with the transition and what will change, Noridian’s online provider portal, what practices can do to prepare for the transition, links to additional resources, and ways to stay apprised of new information on the transition.
- Noridian’s Transition Website: The Noridian transition website includes information on what’s new / changing and what will remain the same during and after the transition.
- CMA Practice Resources: CMA Practice Resources (CPR) is a free monthly newsletter from CMA’s practice management experts that focuses on critical payor and healthcare industry issues — including the Medicare transition — and how these issues directly impact the business of a physician practice. To sign up, visit the CMA website or contact CMA Member Services at (800) 786-4262 or at memberservice@cmanet.org.
- Content Alert Updates: CMA's website allows registered users to create custom content alerts on the topics that are of interest to you. Once signed up, you will be notified any time there is new content posted in one of your interested areas, including Medicare issues. To sign up, users should visit their account dashboard on the CMA website and click on “My Alerts,” then, under "New Content Alerts," click on the "Alert Settings" tab and select “Insurance Reimbursement -> Medicare.”