News - NGSMEDICARE

Posting Date: 03/26/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: March 25, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: March 25, 2025 News ESRD: Payment for Phosphate Binders Effective January 1, 2025 Hospitals: Apply for Additional Residency Positions by March 31 Skilled Nursing Facilities: ...

Posting Date: 03/24/2025

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program 2025 Changes

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program 2025 Changes The MDPP Expanded Model is intended to prevent Medicare beneficiaries with an indication of prediabetes from developing diabetes. Prevention of diabet...

Posting Date: 03/20/2025

Safeguard Your Finances: Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation

Safeguard Your Finances: Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation Attention: Provider Enrollment and Credentialing Teams Ensure you revalidate before your deadline to prevent a "Stay of Enrollment"...

Posting Date: 03/20/2025

Common Tobacco Withdrawal Symptoms

Common Tobacco Withdrawal Symptoms Trying to quit tobacco use feels different for each person, but almost everyone will have some symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. When stopped, the body and brain must...

Posting Date: 03/19/2025

Safeguard Your Finances: Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation

Safeguard Your Finances: Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation Attention: Provider Enrollment and Credentialing Teams Ensure you revalidate before your deadline to prevent a "Stay of Enrollment" ...

Posting Date: 03/17/2025

Provider Enrollment: Top Reasons Behind Delays in Processing the Application

Provider Enrollment: Top Reasons Behind Delays in Processing the Application Medicare enrollment plays a vital role in ensuring compliance with CMS requirements. To help streamline the process and ach...

Posting Date: 03/17/2025

Fiscal Intermediary Standard System Direct Data Entry Screen Changes – April 2025

Fiscal Intermediary Standard System Direct Data Entry Screen Changes – April 2025 The April 2025 quarterly system release will update FISS DDE as described below: Inquiries Submenu (01) Option 1C (CMH...

Posting Date: 03/17/2025

Tobacco Cessation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Tobacco Cessation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT is a type of psychotherapy that’s problem oriented. It may help your patients learn how to change unhelpful or unhealthy ways of thinking, feelin...

Posting Date: 03/17/2025

Provider Enrollment: Top Reasons Behind Delays in Processing the Application

Provider Enrollment: Top Reasons Behind Delays in Processing the Application Medicare enrollment plays a vital role in ensuring compliance with CMS requirements. To help streamline the process and ach...

Posting Date: 03/17/2025

MCReF Hospice Cap Functionality

MCReF Hospice Cap Functionality Attention Hospice providers: The new MCReF Hospice Cap functionality will be covered in the upcoming MCReF Webinar scheduled for 3/19/2025, from 1:00 – 3:00PM ET. The ...

Posting Date: 03/14/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: March 13, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: March 13, 2025 News Medicare Shared Savings Program: Application Deadlines for January 1, 2026, Start Date Claims, Pricers & Codes ICD-10 Coordination & Maintenance Committee...

Posting Date: 03/10/2025

April 2025 EDI Front End Quarterly Release

April 2025 EDI Front End Quarterly Release Please be advised that while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mandated release for April 2025 was installed the weekend of 4/6/2025, the code set...

Posting Date: 03/10/2025

Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative Coming Soon

Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative Coming Soon National Government Services will discontinue issuing paper MRNs for Medicare Part B redetermination requests that are submitted electroni...

Posting Date: 03/07/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: March 6, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: March 6, 2025 News Therapy Services: Get Updates for CY 2025 Hospitals: Apply for Additional Residency Positions by March 31 Compliance Oral Anticancer & Antiemetic Drugs: Pr...

Posting Date: 03/07/2025

Save the Date! National A/B MAC Ambulance Provider/Supplier Coalition

Save the Date! National A/B MAC Ambulance Provider/Supplier Coalition Attention Ambulance Providers As the MACs celebrate and honor the dedication and contributions to healthcare made by those who pro...

Posting Date: 03/04/2025

New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative – Implementation Delayed

New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative - Implementation Delayed As we’ve communicated recently, National Government Services will be starting a new initiative for providers who submit M...

Posting Date: 03/03/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: February 28, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: February 28, 2025 CMS Provider Education Message: Hospitals: Actions to Make Healthcare Prices Transparent Update: On February 25, the White House issued an Executive Order t...

Posting Date: 02/27/2025

National Correct Coding Initiative

National Correct Coding Initiative We recently introduced the NCCI Lookup Tool on our Part B Tools and Calculators page. This tool is designed to assist providers in identifying codes subject to autom...

Posting Date: 02/25/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: February 24, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: February 24, 2025 Compliance Mechanical Ventilation: Bill Correctly for Inpatient Claims Claims, Pricers, & Codes Discarded Drugs & Biologicals: Orphan Drugs with Increased A...

Posting Date: 02/24/2025

Reminder: New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative

Reminder: New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative Beginning 3/3/2025, NGS will only issue electronic versions of the MRN when a Medicare Part B Redetermination request is electronically ...

Posting Date: 02/24/2025

Important Update for Part B Providers – New NCCI Lookup Tool

Important Update for Part B Providers – New NCCI Lookup Tool The Medicare NCCI promotes accurate coding and prevents improper payments. We have added the NCCI Lookup Tool to our Part B Tools and Calcu...

Posting Date: 02/21/2025

Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting

Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting National Government Services is hosting a Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting on 3/13/2025. Details are available by accessing the Local Coverage Determ...

Posting Date: 02/21/2025

Common Working File Host Dark Days for April 2025 Release

Common Working File Host Dark Days for April 2025 Release For Production, CWF will be observing the Gray Day on Thursday, April 3rd, and Dark Days starting Friday, April 4th through Sunday, April 6th ...

Posting Date: 02/17/2025

Reminder: New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative

Reminder: New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative As we’ve communicated, National Government Services is transitioning to electronic notifications for Part B Medicare Redetermination dec...

Posting Date: 02/17/2025

Collaborative Urological Supplies Webinar Coming 3/27/2025

Collaborative Urological Supplies Webinar Coming 3/27/2025 This is your opportunity to hear directly from the Medicare contractors regarding Medicare’s criteria necessary for the coverage of urologica...

Posting Date: 02/14/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: February 14, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: February 14, 2025 News Complex Non-Chemotherapeutic Drug Administration: Determining Payment for Services Claims, Pricers, & Codes Ambulance Fee Schedule: CY 2025 Inflation F...

Posting Date: 02/13/2025

Tobacco Cessation Counseling Doesn’t Have To Be Lengthy or Intimidating

Tobacco Cessation Counseling Doesn’t Have To Be Lengthy or Intimidating Did you know that tobacco cessation counseling is a covered Medicare service? Brief tobacco counseling provides substantial heal...

Posting Date: 02/13/2025

[RESOLVED] Medicare Claim Process System Experiencing Outages

[RESOLVED] Medicare Claim Process System Experiencing Outages We were experiencing outages with our IVR and NGSConnex claim status functionality. Technical support was engaged and the issue is now res...

Posting Date: 02/10/2025

Reminder: New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative

Reminder: New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative As a reminder, beginning 3/3/2025, National Government Services will only issue electronic versions of the MRN when a Medicare Part B Re...

Posting Date: 02/10/2025

Medicare Advantage Information For Part A and Part B Not Offered on the IVR Beginning 3/14/2025

Medicare Advantage Information For Part A and Part B Not Offered on the IVR Beginning 3/14/2025 Effective the evening of 3/14/2025, the Medicare IVR system will no longer provide information regarding...

Posting Date: 02/10/2025

Global Period Services - HCPCS Code G0559

Global Period Services - HCPCS Code G0559 As of 1/1/2025, CMS has implemented HCPCS Code G0559 to capture work performed by a provider other than the performing surgeon during the global period associ...

Posting Date: 02/06/2025

NGSMedicare.com Scheduled Maintenance on Sunday, 2/9/2025

NGSMedicare.com Scheduled Maintenance on Sunday, 2/9/2025 We will experience intermittent outages with NGSMedicare.com on Sunday, 2/9/2025 due to maintenance. NGSMedicare.com will be fully operational...

Posting Date: 02/03/2025

Medicare Part B Independent Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Providers

Medicare Part B Independent Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Providers National Government Services is addressing providers who frequently submit clerical error reopenings to add the KX modif...

Posting Date: 02/03/2025

New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative

New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative As we’ve communicated, beginning 3/3/2025, National Government Services will only issue electronic versions of the MRN when a Medicare Part B Rede...

Posting Date: 02/03/2025

2025 Gapfill Request

2025 Gapfill Request National Government Services, the MAC for JK and J6 is in receipt of the new laboratory test codes identified by the CMS to be gap-fill priced for 2025. The PAMA regulations instr...

Posting Date: 02/03/2025

2025 Gapfill Request Reminder

2025 Gapfill Request Reminder National Government Services, the MAC for JK and J6, is in receipt of the new laboratory test codes identified by CMS to be gap-fill priced for 2025. Please access the co...

Posting Date: 02/03/2025

Institutional Providers: Revised CMS-855A Version (09/24) Medicare Enrollment Application

Institutional Providers: Revised CMS-855A Version (09/24) Medicare Enrollment Application Available now is the revised CMS-855A (09/24) paper application that includes a section for SNF to comply wit...

Posting Date: 01/30/2025

Take Advantage of Tobacco Counseling When Performing Medicare Wellness Visits

Take Advantage of Tobacco Counseling When Performing Medicare Wellness Visits Medicare providers have a valuable opportunity to optimize revenue and improve patient outcomes through Medicare's Annual ...

Posting Date: 01/28/2025

Part A Fundamentals of Medicare Online Guide

Part A Fundamentals of Medicare Online Guide Attention Part A Providers and Support Staff: National Government Services produces the Fundamentals of Medicare online guide to help build understanding ...

Posting Date: 01/28/2025

Medicare Participating Physicians Directory

Medicare Participating Physicians Directory The 2025 MEDPARD is now available. It includes all Part B providers in Jurisdiction 6 and Jurisdiction K who have agreed to accept assignment on all Medicar...

Posting Date: 01/27/2025

Jurisdiction 6 Part B Top Claim Errors Are Updated

Jurisdiction 6 Part B Top Claim Errors Are Updated Did you know we publish the top claim errors on our website? This resources provides detailed information including: the error reason code; a descrip...

Posting Date: 01/27/2025

Jurisdiction K Part B Top Claim Errors Are Updated

Jurisdiction K Part B Top Claim Errors Are Updated Did you know we publish the top claim errors on our website? This resources provides detailed information including: the error reason code; a descrip...

Posting Date: 01/27/2025

Frequently Asked Questions Have Been Reviewed and Updated

Frequently Asked Questions Have Been Reviewed and Updated We’ve reviewed and updated our educational FAQs. Visit our Help and FAQs page located within the Education section of our website. Please take...

Posting Date: 01/27/2025

Top Claim Errors Reviewed and Updated

Top Claim Errors Reviewed and Updated Using data analysis, we review and update the Top Claim Errors on a quarterly basis. View Top Claim Errors to quickly identify the information you need to avoid p...

Posting Date: 01/27/2025

Frequently Asked Questions Have Been Reviewed and Updated

Frequently Asked Questions Have Been Reviewed and Updated We’ve reviewed and updated our educational FAQs. Visit our Help and FAQs page located within the Education section of our website. Topics avai...

Posting Date: 01/23/2025

New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative

New Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative National Government Services is excited to announce a new initiative for providers who submit Medicare Part B appeals using our portal, NGSConnex...

Posting Date: 01/22/2025

Connecticut ASC Fee Schedule Listing

Connecticut ASC Fee Schedule Listing CMS is using CBSA planning areas/numbers instead of counties for fee schedule listings for ASCs in the state of Connecticut. CBSAs refer collectively to metropol...

Posting Date: 01/21/2025

2024 Calendar Year 1099 Form Information

2024 Calendar Year 1099 Form Information National Government Services will mail all 1099 Forms for calendar year 2024 no later than 1/31/2025. Medicare providers and beneficiaries, who are serviced by...

Posting Date: 01/17/2025

Letters Regarding Deactivation of Enrollment Due to Infrequent Billing - Correction of Fax Number

Letters Regarding Deactivation of Enrollment Due to Infrequent Billing - Correction of Fax Number If you received a letter from National Government Services dated 1/10/2025 regarding a deactivation of...

Posting Date: 01/16/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: January 16, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: January 16, 2025 News Resources & Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in California CMS Moves Closer to Accountable Care Goals with 2025 Accountable Care...

Posting Date: 01/15/2025

Multi-Jurisdictional Peripheral Nerve Blocks Contractor Advisory Committee Meeting on 2/3/2025

Multi-Jurisdictional Peripheral Nerve Blocks Contractor Advisory Committee Meeting on 2/3/2025 The Multi-Jurisdictional Peripheral Nerve Blocks Contractor Advisory Committee Meeting is scheduled for 2...

Posting Date: 01/14/2025

Helping Your Patients Stop Smoking

Helping Your Patients Stop Smoking Quitting tobacco use presents various challenges for patients, and staying motivated can be difficult. All health care providers, especially those with direct patien...

Posting Date: 01/13/2025

Obtaining Beneficiary Eligibility Information Through NGSConnex

Obtaining Beneficiary Eligibility Information Through NGSConnex As a reminder, our Customer Service Representatives aren’t permitted to share eligibility information because it’s available through NG...

Posting Date: 01/10/2025

Quarterly Credit Balance Reports No Longer Required

Quarterly Credit Balance Reports No Longer Required As of 12/1/2024, providers are not required to submit the Medicare Credit Balance Report (CMS-838) on a quarterly basis. However, to ensure that mon...

Posting Date: 01/10/2025

Hospice Cap Self-Reporting Reminder for the 2024 Cap Year

Hospice Cap Self-Reporting Reminder for the 2024 Cap Year The Hospice Cap Self-Reporting for the 2024 Cap Year (10/1/2023–9/30/2024) is due no later than 2/28/2025. Hospice providers should submit the...

Posting Date: 01/09/2025

National Government Services - Telehealth Extension 2025

National Government Services - Telehealth Extension 2025 Section 3207 of the American Relief Act, 2025 modified Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act to extend the waiver of the geographic, site ...

Posting Date: 01/09/2025

Fourth Quarter Top Ten EDI Part B Edits

Fourth Quarter Top Ten EDI Part B Edits Using data analysis, we’ve updated the Top Ten EDI Edits for the 2024 fourth quarter. Visit Quarterly Top Ten EDI Part B Edits to view the edits, their descript...

Posting Date: 01/08/2025

Fourth Quarter Top Ten EDI Institutional Edits

Fourth Quarter Top Ten EDI Institutional Edits Using data analysis, we’ve updated the Top Ten EDI Edits for the 2024 fourth quarter. Visit Quarterly Top Ten EDI Institutional Edits to view the edits, ...

Posting Date: 01/08/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: January 8, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: January 8, 2025 News Medicare Part B Vaccine Administration: CY 2025 Payment Amounts Historically Excepted Tribal Federally Qualified Health Centers: CY 2025 Payment Rate DME...

Posting Date: 01/07/2025

Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation

Using Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation Healthcare providers may choose to offer quit smoking medications to help reduce withdrawal symptoms and cigarette cravings, effectively doubli...

Posting Date: 01/07/2025

Fiscal Intermediary Standard System Direct Data Entry Screen Changes – January 2025

Fiscal Intermediary Standard System Direct Data Entry Screen Changes – January 2025 The January 2025 quarterly system release was implemented on 1/6/2025 with the following changes to the Claims Corre...

Posting Date: 01/02/2025

LCD/Billing and Coding Article Updates – December 2024–January 2025

LCD/Billing and Coding Article Updates – December 2024–January 2025 Mass Spectrometry (MS) Testing in Monoclonal Gammopathy (MG) (L39189) – Effective 12/15/2024 Under the Indications of Coverage, adde...

Posting Date: 01/02/2025

Proper Submission of Reopening Requests

Proper Submission of Reopening Requests National Government Services has identified an issue where providers are submitting reopening requests to change or add diagnosis codes on paid claims. These re...

Posting Date: 01/02/2025

Improving Customer Experience

Improving Customer Experience We are committed to improving your experience. Please watch this two-minute video that explains how each day we review comments from providers who submit surveys to let u...

Posting Date: 12/31/2024

Virtual Multi-Jurisdictional Town Hall Meeting To Be Held 12/10/2024

Virtual Multi-Jurisdictional Town Hall Meeting To Be Held 12/10/2024 National Government Services, along with Novitas Solutions and First Coast Service Options, CGS Administrators, Noridian Healthcare...

Posting Date: 12/20/2024

Attention FQHCs: Who Is Your MAC?

Attention FQHCs: Who Is Your MAC? National Government Services serves as the CMS Jurisdiction 6 and K MAC for FQHCs in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the five United States Territories of American Sam...

Posting Date: 12/20/2024

Part A Fall 2024 Virtual Conference Playback

Part A Fall 2024 Virtual Conference Playback As part of our efforts to educate our provider community, we have posted all 16 educational sessions from our recent Part A Fall 2024 Virtual Conference: K...

Posting Date: 12/19/2024

Reminder for Correcting Hospice Edits for Certifying Physicians (17729, 17730)

Reminder for Correcting Hospice Edits for Certifying Physicians (17729, 17730) Reason Codes 17729 and 17730: Refer to specific hospice claim edits related to certifying physicians. Adjustments: Should...

Posting Date: 12/19/2024

MLN Connects® Newsletter: December 19, 2024

MLN Connects® Newsletter: December 19, 2024 News MBI Lookup Tools: CMS Seeks Input by February 17 CMS Roundup (December 13, 2024) Long-Term Care Hospital Provider Preview Reports: Review by January 15...

Posting Date: 12/18/2024

Provider Enrollment Application Fee Amount for CY 2025

Provider Enrollment Application Fee Amount for CY 2025 The provider enrollment application fee for CY 2025 is $730. For more information, view MLN Connects® Newsletter: December 12, 2024. Posted 12/18...

Posting Date: 12/16/2024

Join Us to Learn About NGSConnex

Join Us to Learn About NGSConnex We’re hosting a series of webinars focused on our free, secure internet portal, NGSConnex. During each session, we’ll review what NGSConnex has to offer. We’ll discuss...

Posting Date: 12/12/2024

MLN Connects® Newsletter: December 12, 2024

MLN Connects® Newsletter: December 12, 2024 News FY 2024 Medicare Fee-for-Service Improper Payment Rate Revised Home Health Change of Care Notice Form Effective February 1 Skilled Nursing Facility Val...

Posting Date: 12/12/2024

Your Lunchtime Treat! Listen to the Navigating Medicare: Part A Insights for Providers Podcast

Your Lunchtime Treat! Listen to the Navigating Medicare: Part A Insights for Providers Podcast “Lunch, listen and learn” twice a month with Medicare Part A! We have more than 15 Part A podcasts geared...

Posting Date: 12/12/2024

Intermittent Issues with NGSMedicare.com on 12/15/2024

Intermittent Issues with NGSMedicare.com on 12/15/2024 We will experience intermittent outages with NGSMedicare.com on Sunday, 12/15/2024 due to maintenance. NGSMedicare.com will be fully operational ...

Posting Date: 12/11/2024

Overcoming Barriers to Tobacco Counseling

Overcoming Barriers to Tobacco Counseling Healthcare providers may face different challenges when implementing tobacco cessation counseling into a clinical practice routine. These various factors infl...