In the past I have talked about the importance of signing up for the e-mail listserv for your DME Medicare Administrative Contractor. Another important listserv is the one run by CMS.
If you have not signed up yet, you need to do so as soon as possible. CMS and the DME MACs keep you informed of important changes via this e-mail system. Consider it your direct line to Medicare. All you have to do is open your e-mail each morning to see the changes being contemplated or implemented. It is much easier to receive these updates than to visit numerous Web sites to see what has changed.
How many people in your office receive these updates? If it is only one person, then you need to re-evaluate. You should have all of your key personnel receiving these updates in order to keep everyone up to date.
Knowledge is power. Do not keep this information to yourself — share it. Make everyone responsible for reading the updates daily, and put a policy and procedure in place to implement the changes as they come in.
Many times you have several months' notice before a change goes into effect. This will let you evaluate the best way to incorporate the changes into your company.
Also, if your key staff members know of the change, they most likely will have different ideas on how best to incorporate the change and still maintain good productivity. No one better to help in the decision process than the troops in the trenches.
To sign up for the CMS coverage listserv, as well as other listservs offered by the agency, visit https://list.nih.gov.
Preparing for Disaster
One reason you want to have multiple people on the listserv is in the case of a regional or national emergency. CMS and the DME MACs will use the listserv e-mails to distribute critical information in a timely manner. The more people you have on the listserv, the better chance you have of receiving this information.
What if your office or computer is destroyed in a disaster? There are several ways to combat this. Many e-mail services are online, so you can sign on using any computer to check your account. Also, other computers in your office may not be damaged and you can use them for online e-mail. If you have offices in other locations, make sure employees there are signed up for the listserv and have a policy and procedure for getting the information from the listserv to any location that is affected by a disaster.
It may also be wise to have a laptop that you keep with you. If your laptop has an aircard, you can use a cellular network to keep in touch. In this day and age, you must be able to receive information quickly so you can take the appropriate action for your company and patients.
Take some time to formulate a disaster preparation plan, in the unfortunate event you need to implement it, that will allow you to stay in touch with federal, state and local governments. You never know where the next hurricane, tornado, fire, blizzard or, heaven forbid, terrorist act may happen. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
NPI Time
If you haven't already, make sure you have signed up for your National Provider Identifier number. With so little time remaining, it is essential that you take the necessary actions to obtain your number now. If you have multiple locations, you must obtain an NPI number for each one.
Also, keep in mind that if you need to complete an 855S form for the National Supplier Clearinghouse, you will need to use your new NPI number. You must begin submitting claims using the NPI on May 23, 2007, but if you have one now, transmit claims using your NSC Provider Number and your NPI number.
You may apply online at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov. Do not delay, or your claims may go away.
It is crucial that you keep up to date with all of these changes. Not doing so could be costly.
Jane Bunch is vice president, HME consulting, for Atlanta-based CareCentric. A reimbursement specialist, Bunch delivers educational seminars worldwide, helps develop corporate compliance plans and serves as a consultant for fraud and abuse cases. She may be reached at 678/264-4495 or via e-mail at jane.bunch@carecentric.com.
