Policy and Your Practice
Keep Your
Supplier Information Current
By Brian Banks
It may seem
obvious, but it’s so important to keep your supplier
information current that a reminder is warranted. Supplier standards
require suppliers to notify the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC)
within 30 days of any change to the information they provided on the
CMS 855S application form.
Further, in order to participate in the competitive bidding program, suppliers must ensure the information in their supplier file is current.
Ensuring your information is current keeps you in good standing with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and helps you avoid payment delays or the inactivation or revocation of your supplier number.
Since CMS recently awarded the contract for implementing DMEPOS competitive bidding to Palmetto GBA, we have put together information that will help you change your supplier information quickly and easily.
Submitting a change of information
All changes (except the one listed in the sidebar “When the CMS Form 855S Isn’t Required”) must be submitted on the current CMS 855S application form. Any changes not made on the CMS 855S will be returned with a letter requesting the supplier to submit the change on the appropriate form.
It’s a good idea to submit a cover letter explaining what you are trying to accomplish. A cover letter may help the NSC analyst process the form, especially if there are several changes being submitted on the same form.
Be sure to include any required documentation and ensure that all dates are entered in this format: mm/dd/yyyy. If any information is incomplete or if any required documentation is missing, the NSC analyst will have to contact you for the information, which will delay processing.
Further, in order to participate in the competitive bidding program, suppliers must ensure the information in their supplier file is current.
Ensuring your information is current keeps you in good standing with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and helps you avoid payment delays or the inactivation or revocation of your supplier number.
Since CMS recently awarded the contract for implementing DMEPOS competitive bidding to Palmetto GBA, we have put together information that will help you change your supplier information quickly and easily.
| Why Is It Taking So Long? |
| The processing time to complete
a change of information is approximately 45 days. Here are the most common reasons for delays in processing the change of information and for failure to update the supplier file . • Failure to
respond to a request for more information within the 14-day time frame.
If you do not respond within this time frame, the updates will not be
made and you will have to submit the request again.
• Failure to list your NPI and provide a copy of the notification from the NPI enumerator. No enrollment documentation will be processed without the NPI information. • Failure to provide your current licenses. • Failure to provide an original signature and date. |
| When Do I Need to Update My Information? |
| Here is a list of common
reasons for updating your information with CMS. Instructions detailing
what sections need to be filled out for each scenario are available at
http://snipurl.com/18sne. • Changing
your physical location or where you would like correspondence,
re-enrollment packages or payments sent.
• Billing agency has changed. • A change in ownership. • The managing employee has changed. • The authorized official has changed. • The delegated official has changed. • The business has been sold or closed, so the supplier number needs to be inactivated. • Changing your specialty, products or services. • Your legal
business name has changed.
|
Submitting a change of information
All changes (except the one listed in the sidebar “When the CMS Form 855S Isn’t Required”) must be submitted on the current CMS 855S application form. Any changes not made on the CMS 855S will be returned with a letter requesting the supplier to submit the change on the appropriate form.
It’s a good idea to submit a cover letter explaining what you are trying to accomplish. A cover letter may help the NSC analyst process the form, especially if there are several changes being submitted on the same form.
Be sure to include any required documentation and ensure that all dates are entered in this format: mm/dd/yyyy. If any information is incomplete or if any required documentation is missing, the NSC analyst will have to contact you for the information, which will delay processing.
Basic
Information (Section 1). In Section 1B, enter your
supplier number and NPI. Indicate your reason for submitting CMS form
855S; in this case, check “You are changing your Medicare
information.”
In Section 1C, indicate what information will be changing by checking the box next to each. Then complete the required sections for that change, listed in the right-hand column next to each selection.
In Section 1C, indicate what information will be changing by checking the box next to each. Then complete the required sections for that change, listed in the right-hand column next to each selection.
Identifying
Information (Section 2.) Complete Section 2A1 in its
entirety. This information helps the NSC verify that the change is
being made for the correct supplier.
Adverse Legal
Actions/Convictions (Section 3.) Please do not leave this
section blank. If you do, the NSC analyst will have to request the
information, which will delay processing.
Instead, review the information in the section and check the appropriate box. If the section does not apply, check “No.” If you need to report any information, check “Yes” and provide the required information.
Contact Person (Section 13.) List the name and contact information of an individual who is knowledgeable about the information being submitted. It is important to list a contact person the NSC analyst can easily reach, so any additional information required can be processed as quickly as possible.
Instead, review the information in the section and check the appropriate box. If the section does not apply, check “No.” If you need to report any information, check “Yes” and provide the required information.
Contact Person (Section 13.) List the name and contact information of an individual who is knowledgeable about the information being submitted. It is important to list a contact person the NSC analyst can easily reach, so any additional information required can be processed as quickly as possible.
Certification
Statement/Delegated Official (Section 15 or 16.) Whether
you sign and date Section 15 or Section 16 depends on which individual
is authorizing the change. If the authorized official is approving the
change, he or she should sign and date Section 15. If the delegated
official is approving the change, he or she should sign and date
Section 16. If either of these sections is not signed and dated, or if
the signature is not original, the form will be returned to the
supplier.
| When the CMS Form 855S Isn’t Required |
| The only time the CMS Form 855S is not required is when a supplier is requesting to change their status from “Participating” to “Nonparticipating” during open enrollment. Instead, submit that change on company letterhead. This request must have the original signature of the authorized or delegated official. |
Don’t stop there
These sections are the ones required for any change of information. CMS may require you to complete additional sections of form 855S, depending on the change being made. For instructions on how to complete these sections and downloadable sections of CMS form 855S, visit http://snipurl.com/18sne.
These sections are the ones required for any change of information. CMS may require you to complete additional sections of form 855S, depending on the change being made. For instructions on how to complete these sections and downloadable sections of CMS form 855S, visit http://snipurl.com/18sne.
Brian Banks is NSC
Ombudsman for Palmetto GBA.
