What Does Medicare Provider Enrollment Relief Mean for You?

The COVID 19 pandemic has resulted in rapid and frequent changes within the medical field, including the regulations for Medicare provider enrollment. At 1st Assistant we know this can be confusing. Below are some highlights of the relief to enrollment requirements currently being offered by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to support the national health emergency caused by the virus.

For physicians and non-physician practitioners eligible to enroll in Medicare, CMS is exercising its 1135 waiver authority as follows:

• Establishing toll-free hotlines to enroll and receive temporary Medicare billing privileges

• Waiving criminal background checks associated with fingerprint-based criminal background checks

• Waiving site visit requirements

• Postponing all revalidation actions

For all other suppliers and providers eligible to enroll in Medicare the following measures are being taken:

• Expediting all pending and new applications—clean web applications processed within 7 business days; clean paper applications processed in 14 business days

• Waiving application fees, criminal background checks associated with fingerprint based criminal background checks and site visits for applications received on or after March 1, 2020

• Postponing all revalidation actions

Medicare billing privileges granted under these temporary relief measures will be provisional. Upon the lifting of the public health emergency declaration, providers will be asked to submit a complete CMS-855 enrollment application in order to establish full Medicare billing privileges. Failure to respond to MAC’s request within 30 days will result in deactivation of your temporary billing privileges.

Let Us Manage All Your Payer Enrollment and Credentialing Services

If you require medical credentialing and payer enrollment needs for your practice or medical facility, please contact 1st Assistant. Our experienced and dedicated specialists will provide all credentialing and enrollment services quickly and will monitor your account for ongoing updates and re-attestations. Heidi Henderson, Vice President of Credentialing, is eager to meet you and discuss your payer enrollment needs. Please call us at 512.201.2668 or contact us via the website.