{"id":401,"date":"2018-08-13T14:30:21","date_gmt":"2018-08-13T14:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advantagehcconsulting.com\/blog\/?p=401"},"modified":"2018-08-13T14:30:21","modified_gmt":"2018-08-13T14:30:21","slug":"billing-make-sure-you-take-advantage-of-newest-billing-procedures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advantagehcconsulting.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/13\/billing-make-sure-you-take-advantage-of-newest-billing-procedures\/","title":{"rendered":"Billing: Make Sure You Take Advantage Of Newest Billing Procedures"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Don\u2019t lose money due to corrected NOEs.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s essential to stay up to date on Medicare billing guidance, and a recent\u00a0MLN Matters\u00a0<\/em>article shows you why.<\/p>\n

June 7\u00a0MLN Matters\u00a0<\/em>article SE18007 reviews changes to Medicare hospice billing processes that can save hospices money and time, noted a representative from the\u00a0Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services\u00a0<\/strong>in CMS\u2019s July 11 Open Door Forum for home care and hospice providers.<\/p>\n

Change #1: NOE Corrections<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As of Jan. 1, Medicare began accepting electronic Notices of Election. Being able to submit NOEs electronically drastically cuts down on errors due to staffers keying incorrect information into the Direct Data Entry system, CMS notes.<\/p>\n

Along with that process, hospices can also submit corrections to their NOEs, the\u00a0MLN Matters\u00a0<\/em>article points out.<\/p>\n

Old way:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cIf a hospice made an error in the election date on an NOE (Type of Bill (TOB) 8xA), the hospice had to cancel the incorrect election (using TOB 8xD) and then submit a replacement NOE,\u201d CMS explains. \u201cThis would correct the election date in Medicare systems, but the original NOE receipt date was lost. When the replacement NOE was processed, it often appeared that it was submitted after the 5 day timely filing period. This in turn resulted in the need to request an exception to the NOE timely filing requirement. This was an administrative burden.\u201d<\/p>\n

New way:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>Now, \u201cto correct an election date, the hospice can simply submit another TOB 8xA, using the correct election date as the From, Admission dates and Occurrence Code 27 dates,\u201d CMS says. \u201cThe hospice must also submit the original, incorrect election date on the 8xA using occurrence code 56. Medicare systems use this date to find the election record to be corrected, then replaces that election date with the corrected information. The hospice must also indicate the NOE is a correction by adding condition code D0 (zero). If occurrence code 56 and condition code D0 are not both present, the NOE will be returned to the hospice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plus:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe hospice can use a similar process to correct a revocation date, if the wrong date was submitted on a Notice of Termination\/Revocation (NOTR) using TOB 8xB,\u201d CMS adds in the article.<\/p>\n

The CMS staffer said in the forum they \u201cencourage providers to review it carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n

One more thing:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>One of the most helpful parts of this change is being able to remove a revocation that should never have been submitted altogether, the CMS source noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a revocation date was submitted entirely in error (for instance, the beneficiary actually transferred to another hospice, rather than revoking their hospice benefit), the hospice can remove the revocation date by submitting TOB 8xB with zeroes in the Through date,\u201d CMS instructs. \u201cThe hospice must submit the original, incorrect revocation date on the NOTR using occurrence code 56 and indicate the NOTR is a correction by adding condition code D0.\u201d<\/p>\n

Change #2: Benefit Period And Screen Changes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The article also explains changes to the benefit period process that took effect July 2 and to the benefit screen information that went live July 9, the CMS official explained in the forum.<\/p>\n

Old way:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>In the past, a \u201cvariety of processing problems\u201d came from using a single file for the hospice benefit period and billing period, the staffer noted.<\/p>\n

New way:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>Now, CMS has separated the benefit period and billing period information. It has created new benefit period screens.<\/p>\n

Separating them provides solutions to a number of problems, including retaining the NOE receipt date even when the election date is changed; allowing the filing of revocations even when a claim hasn\u2019t yet been filed; and keeping election periods intact even when a patient transfers to another hospice.<\/p>\n

To ensure the new system works, hospice must \u201cchange how they submit the From date on an NOTR,\u201d CMS stresses in the article. Those changes include:<\/p>\n