Site Help
Welcome to our site help page. If you do not find the answer to your most frequently asked technical questions, please submit them using our Site Feedback form.
Take the NGSMedicare.com Web Site Tour
View a step-by-step tour of the NGSMedicare Web site by downloading a printer-friendly copy of the NGSMedicare.com Web Site Tour. This helpful resource will provide detailed information on:
- Site access
- Using the site
- Home page features
- Medicare University
- Searching the site
The tour is available in a printer-friendly PDF format, so you can view it online or print and review at your own pace!
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New Site Crosswalk Tools and Communications
Please review the following navigation and content crosswalk tools to help prepare you for the new site:
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Site Optimization/System Requirements
The NGSMedicare.com Web site is supported by the following Web browsers:
- Internet Explorer versions 6–8
- Firefox versions 2–3.6
- Opera versions 8–9.8
- Safari versions 3.2–4
- Chrome version 5
This Web site is best viewed with a screen resolution set to 1024 × 768.
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Site Navigation
Breadcrumb Navigation: The breadcrumb navigation is located above Quick Links and tracks the path you follow as you navigate our site.
Quick Links: Quick Links navigation provides convenient access to Web pages and/or applications that receive large numbers of search requests. Quick Links are specific to each line of business and are accessible throughout your site experience.
Top Primary Navigation: The primary top navigation menu appears next to the breadcrumb navigation and is available on almost all pages of the Web site. The top navigation offers immediate access to frequently used and requested site tools, resources, and information. The top navigation menu for all lines of business includes: Home, Resources, Enrollment, and FAQs.*
Left Primary Navigation: The left navigation is located below the Quick Links area and is available on almost all pages of the Web site. The primary navigation serves two purposes:
- It operates as the site’s primary global navigation menu, and
- It illustrates where the page is located, in context with other pages, on a continuous basis
The left navigation menu for all lines of business includes: Publications, Claims, Coverage Determinations, Education and Training, and Review Process.
Selecting the primary navigation links will result in either expanding or collapsing the corresponding secondary navigation options.*
Secondary Navigation: The secondary navigation for all lines of business is located under the primary navigation and is available on almost all pages of the Web site. To access the site’s secondary navigation simply click on the name of the secondary navigation link.*
*Note: Currently, the top and left navigation do not appear when viewing the following pages:
- Attestation page
- Acronyms
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Training Events Calendar
- Part B MEDPARD
- Part B Opt-Out
- Medical Policy Center
- Online forms
Footer Navigation: The site’s global footer navigation consists of two lines and includes:
- Line 1: About Us, Contact Us, Get Adobe Reader, Privacy Policy, Site Feedback, Site Help, Site Map
- Line 2: People with Medicare and Congressional Offices
Site Map: Use the Site Map navigation to view a list of all top and left primary navigation, along with links to secondary, People with Medicare, and Congressional Offices information.
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Site Features
Hot Topics: Provides access to special initiatives and/or information related to National Government Services.
Latest Production Alerts: Displays production-related issues, such as standard system claims edits affecting claims processing, remittance posting issues, payment issues, and others. Issues will be tracked and communicated through to resolution and will remain viewable for a designated timeframe.
Top Five Requested Pages: Tracks the top five pages requested by users for each line of business on a weekly basis.
Site Tips: Displays a rotational content resource library of “did you know” and “how to” information about the NGSMedicare.com site.
Change Business Type: Update the Medicare line of business selection from almost all pages of the Web site!
Content Filtering: Offers expanded filtering options such as year and/or effective date in key areas, including Fee Schedules and News Articles.
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Site Search Tools
The following search tools are available to help you locate information efficiently:
General Site Keyword Search: Allows you to search most areas of general content on our Web site, including the News Articles and other publications.
Advanced Search: Offers a layer of search capabilities which allow you to perform targeted searches. This is done through the inclusion of several fields similar to what you see on the Google advanced search page at www.google.com. 
News Articles Search: A keyword and filtering search mechanism exclusive to the News article index. The keyword feature searches both the article titles and content, while the filtering options allow you to tailor your searches to a specific region, article source, and incremental timeframes. You can sort results by article titles, posted date, and source.
Part A and Part B Medical Policy Center Keyword Search: This feature allows you to search within local coverage determinations (LCDs) and supplemental instruction articles (SIAs) by using a variety of keywords, e.g., by CMS Identifier (L number or A number), title, keyword, as well as HCPCS, CPT, or ICD-9 codes, to locate policy-related information easily. Part A, Part B, home health, hospice, and federally qualified health centers must initiate all LCD and SIA searches from the Medical Policy Center page
Durable Medical Equipment Supplier Medical Policy Search: Suppliers can search for LCD and policy article (PA)-related information by using the general site keyword search form field. Input relevant keyword information, e.g., CMS Identifier (L number or A number), LCD/PA title, HCPCS, CPT, or ICD-9 codes, to quickly locate LCD/PA information.
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File Formats and Icons Used in This Web Site
File Format Icons
There are several different file formats used in this Web site, including:
- Text format miscellaneous multimedia
- Adobe portable document format (.pdf)
- Excel (.xls)
- MP3 (.mp3)
- Word documents (.doc)
- Comma separated value (.csv)
- Plain-text format (.txt)
- Zip (.zip)
Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf): PDF files are used for viewing and printing content and forms.
To view a PDF file, you need either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed on your computer. If you do not have the necessary software installed, you can download Adobe Reader free of charge from the Adobe Web site at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.
Word Documents (.doc): Word documents are used for displaying textual information the user can easily recreate on their organization’s letterhead stationery, e.g., forms for patient distribution.
To view a Microsoft Word file, you need Microsoft Word or Word Viewer installed on the computer. If you do not have the necessary software installed, you can download Microsoft Word Viewer free of charge from the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=3657ce88-7cfa-457a-9aec-f4f827f20cac&displaylang=en.
Plain-Text Format (.txt): Plain-text files are used for viewing and/or uploading fee schedule data.
When a.TXT file is double-clicked, a text editor, such as Notepad, should appear, allowing you to view and/or edit the contents of the file.
Excel (.xls): Excel files are used for displaying data in workbooks, worksheets, and forms.
To view a Microsoft Excel file, you need Microsoft Excel or Excel Viewer installed on the computer. If you do not have the necessary software installed, you can download Microsoft Excel Viewer free of charge from the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=1cd6acf9-ce06-4e1c-8dcf-f33f669dbc3a&displaylang=en.
Zip (.zip): Zip files are used to store files together and to compress the size of the files.
To extract data from a Zip file you need to have WinZip installed on the computer. To download a free copy of WinZip go to: http://www.winzip.com/prod_down.htm.
MP3 (.mp3): MP3 files allow the playing of sound files such as recorded teleconference or Webinar training event audio narration.
There are many different MP3 players available, either software for personal computers or portable media players.
Other Icons Used on Our Site
CBT: You will see this icon adjacent to links or inline text that will launch a computer-based training (CBT) course.
NEW!: You will see this icon when a new content link is being introduced on the Web site. These will generally remain visible for a short period of time.
File Format Icon Key
| Icons Used in Inline Content |
Icons Used in Fee Schedule Tables |
         
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Languages
The NGSMedicare.com Web site content is presented by default in English. However, we recognize that some people need the information we provide in different languages. Therefore, the site offers a language translation option to ensure that there are no barriers to prevent information access on our Web site. The following language translation options are available on the NGSMedicare.com Web site:
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Italian
- Korean
- Spanish
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Last Modified: 2/17/11
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Site Help
