Tip: Get ready for the new Medicare beneficiary cards and ID numbers The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin mailing new identification cards to California Medicare beneficiaries between April and June 2018, as required under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The new cards will contain a unique, randomly assigned Medicare Beneficiary Identification (MBI) number replacing the current Social Security-based number. CMS will allow a 21-month transition period beginning April 2018, where health care providers will be able to use either the patient’s current Medicare number or the patient’s new Medicare number. CMS has developed ... April 5, 2018 Medicare Medicare, Tip of the Month 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA advocacy results in DHCS revaluing two CPT codes The California Medical Association (CMA) received a call from a physician member with concerns that the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) had priced a CPT code for destruction of up to 14 benign skin lesions (CPT 17110) at a higher level than it priced a more complex procedure for the destruction of 15 or more lesions (CPT 17111). CMA escalated the issue to DHCS so it could investigate. Upon further inspection and months of discussions, DHCS announced in October that it was increasing reimbursement on both codes, resulting ... April 5, 2018 CMA, General, Medi-Cal Dermatology, DHCS, Economic Advoacy, Billing/Coding, CPT, Department of Health Care Services, Medi-Cal 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physicians encouraged to warn patients of new Medicare scam Seniors in California are being targeted by a new Medicare card phone scam. Medicare beneficiaries are getting calls from scammers telling them their new Medicare card will arrive between April and June 2018, which is true. However, they go on to state beneficiaries must first buy a temporary card for $5.00 to $50.00 and provide personal information before they receive their new Medicare card. THIS IS NOT TRUE. It is true that Medicare is issuing a newly designed Medicare card, which will contain the unique, randomly assigned Medicare Beneficiary Identification (MBI) ... April 5, 2018 Medicare Medicare, Scams 0 0 Comment Read More »
