News - NGSMEDICARE

Posting Date: 07/03/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: July 3, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: July 3, 2025 Proposed Payment Rules ESRD: CY 2026 Proposed Rule — Submit Comments by August 29 Home Health: CY 2026 Proposed Rule — Submit Comments by August 29 News CMS Laun...

Posting Date: 07/02/2025

LCD and Billing and Coding Article Updates – July 2025

LCD and Billing and Coding Article Updates – July 2025 Billing and Coding: Respiratory Pathogen Panel Testing (A58741) Based on the HCPCS quarterly updates the following updates have been made to the ...

Posting Date: 07/02/2025

Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation Due Date Today and Protect Your Bottom Line

Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation Due Date Today and Protect Your Bottom Line Attention: Provider Enrollment and Credentialing Departments Revalidate before your due date to avoid a “Stay of ...

Posting Date: 07/02/2025

Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation Due Date Today and Protect Your Bottom Line

Know Your Provider Enrollment Revalidation Due Date Today and Protect Your Bottom Line Attention: Provider Enrollment and Credentialing Departments Revalidate before your due date to avoid a “Stay of ...

Posting Date: 07/01/2025

New Recovery Audit Contractor

New Recovery Audit Contractor On 4/28/2025, CMS awarded Cotiviti GOV Services LLC the RAC contracts for Region 5 . Region 5 encompasses JA, JB, JC, JD, and the HHH MACs: J6, J15, JK, and JM. Performan...

Posting Date: 06/30/2025

July 2025 Release "Dark Days" for the Common Working File Hosts

July 2025 Release "Dark Days" for the Common Working File Hosts For the Upcoming July 2025 Release: For Production, CWF will be observing the Gray Day on Wednesday, 7/2/2025 and Dark Days starting Thu...

Posting Date: 06/27/2025

July 2025 EDI Front End Quarterly Release

July 2025 EDI Front End Quarterly Release Please be advised that while the CMS mandated release for July 2025 will be installed the weekend of 7/6/2025, the code set updates included with this release...

Posting Date: 06/26/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 26, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 26, 2025 News Alert: Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Phishing Fax Requests Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program: CY 2025 Payment Rates Compliance Commodes, Bed Pans & Ur...

Posting Date: 06/24/2025

Observance of Fourth of July 2025

Observance of Fourth of July 2025 In observance of the Fourth of July 2025, National Government Services offices will be closed on Friday, 7/4/2025. Please note: EDI claim files transmitted after 4:00...

Posting Date: 06/24/2025

National Government Services Important Update

National Government Services Important Update ALERT: Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Phishing Fax Requests National Government Services wants to share with our providers an urgent issue that has been ...

Posting Date: 06/24/2025

LCD and Billing and Coding Article Updates – 2025

LCD and Billing and Coding Article Updates – 2025 January Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Programs L33626 Effective 1/1/2024, in the Coverage Indications, Limitations and/or Medical Necessity sect...

Posting Date: 06/18/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 18, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 18, 2025 News 2023 Doctors & Clinicians Preview Period Open Until June 25 Hospital Price Transparency: Respond to Accuracy & Completeness RFI by July 21 Medicare Part B ...

Posting Date: 06/16/2025

Interactive Voice Response System Changes Coming Soon

Interactive Voice Response System Changes Coming Soon We’re making changes to our IVR system. You’ll still dial the same number, but you’ll hear a new voice. Although the IVR provides instructions thr...

Posting Date: 06/16/2025

Medicare Portable X-Ray Survey Reminder

Medicare Portable X-Ray Survey Reminder MACs, under the direction of the CMS, are conducting a national cost analysis survey to assess the transportation components of portable X-ray services, specifi...

Posting Date: 06/12/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 12, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 12, 2025 News Final National Coverage Determination: Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Home for Treatment of Chronic Respiratory Failure Consequent to COPD Sk...

Posting Date: 06/12/2025

Understanding the Submission Requirement for a Revalidation Application

Understanding the Submission Requirement for a Revalidation Application According to the 42 Code of Federal Regulations Section 424.515(b), providers and suppliers are required to submit a CMS-855 app...

Posting Date: 06/09/2025

[RESOLVED] Fiscal Intermediary Standard System and Multi Carrier System Experiencing Outages

[RESOLVED] Fiscal Intermediary Standard System and Multi Carrier System Experiencing Outages The FISS and MCS are now available and Part A and Part B providers can check claim status in NGSConnex and ...

Posting Date: 06/05/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 5, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 5, 2025 News 2023 Doctors & Clinicians Preview Period Open Until June 25 Hospital Price Transparency: Respond to Accuracy & Completeness RFI by July 21 Medicare & Vetera...

Posting Date: 06/04/2025

Observance of Juneteenth Holiday

Observance of Juneteenth Holiday In observance of Juneteenth, the National Government Services offices will be closed on Thursday, 6/19/2025. This includes the following departments: EDI Help Desk* Pr...

Posting Date: 06/03/2025

Modifier 22 Supporting Documentation for Part B claims

Modifier 22 Supporting Documentation for Part B claims The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Internet-Only-Manual, Publication 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 12, Section 40...

Posting Date: 05/29/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 29, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 29, 2025 News Inpatient Hospital Admissions: Transferring Medical Review Responsibilities for Short Stay Claims Medicare Shared Savings Program: Apply Now MLN Matters® Ar...

Posting Date: 05/27/2025

The 2025 Spring Part B Virtual Conference Begins in One Week!

The 2025 Spring Part B Virtual Conference Begins in One Week! The 2025 Spring Part B Virtual Conference begins in one week! This is your last chance to register and join us on June 3–5, 2025! Don’t mi...

Posting Date: 05/27/2025

Relocation of the Medically Unlikely Edit Webpage Information

Relocation of the Medically Unlikely Edit Webpage Information National Government Services would like to inform you of an important change regarding the placement of the MUE section on our website. Th...

Posting Date: 05/27/2025

Smoking Cessation Tools and Resources - You Can Help Your Patients Quit Tobacco Use

Smoking Cessation Tools and Resources - You Can Help Your Patients Quit Tobacco Use Smokefree.gov Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tips from Former Smokers campaign Centers for Disease Cont...

Posting Date: 05/22/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 22, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 22, 2025 News Discarded Drugs: Get Updated Lists Medicare Provider Payment & Utilization Public Use Files: Annual Update Medicare Fee-for-Service Geographic Variation Pub...

Posting Date: 05/22/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 22, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 22, 2025 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Treasury Announce Move to Strengthen Healthcare Price Transparency Trump administration issues request for infor...

Posting Date: 05/21/2025

[RESOLVED] NGSConnex and Interactive Voice Response System Experiencing Intermittent Issues

[RESOLVED] NGSConnex and Interactive Voice Response System Experiencing Intermittent Issues We were experiencing intermittent outages with NGSConnex and the IVR. In some cases, the IVR was not playing...

Posting Date: 05/21/2025

Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting

Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting National Government Services is hosting a Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting on 6/25/2025. Details are available by accessing the Local Coverage Deter...

Posting Date: 05/20/2025

Provider Enrollment: Confirm Banking Information to Avoid Disruptions in Medicare Payments

Provider Enrollment: Confirm Banking Information to Avoid Disruptions in Medicare Payments Each year, National Government Services experiences numerous EFT rejections due to inactive or closed bank ac...

Posting Date: 05/20/2025

Provider Enrollment: Confirm Banking Information to Avoid Disruptions in Medicare Payments

Provider Enrollment: Confirm Banking Information to Avoid Disruptions in Medicare Payments Each year, National Government Services experiences numerous EFT rejections due to inactive or closed bank ac...

Posting Date: 05/19/2025

May 31 is World No Tobacco Day

May 31 is World No Tobacco Day World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31 is a yearly celebration that informs the public of the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what ...

Posting Date: 05/16/2025

Observance of Memorial Day 2025

Observance of Memorial Day 2025 In observance of Memorial Day 2025, our offices will be closed Friday, 5/23/2025 and Monday, 5/26/2025. Note: EDI claim files transmitted after 4:00 p.m. CT/5:00 p.m. E...

Posting Date: 05/16/2025

EDI Enrollment processing update

EDI Enrollment processing update National Government Services, EDI Enrollment Department will require all information submitted for EDI access to be valid and accurate. Exceptions will no longer be ma...

Posting Date: 05/15/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 15, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 15, 2025 News CMS Releases Draft Guidance for the Third Cycle of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program to Lower Drug Prices for American Patients Opioid Treatment Progr...

Posting Date: 05/15/2025

Paperwork Segment – PWK

Paperwork Segment – PWK The paperwork segment of an electronic claim submission is commonly known as PWK. PWK can be used when an electronically submitted claim requires additional documentation for p...

Posting Date: 05/14/2025

Provider Enrollment: Eliminate Development Request for Additional Information

Provider Enrollment: Eliminate Development Request for Additional Information To eliminate requests for additional information and documentation on provider enrollment applications, ensure all necessa...

Posting Date: 05/14/2025

Provider Enrollment: Eliminate Development Request for Additional Information

Provider Enrollment: Eliminate Development Request for Additional Information To eliminate requests for additional information and documentation on provider enrollment applications, ensure all necessa...

Posting Date: 05/13/2025

Complying with Medicare Signature Requirements

Complying with Medicare Signature Requirements Medicare Compliance: Verify signature requirements have been met before you submit your medical records to prevent CERT errors. Review the CERT Alert art...

Posting Date: 05/13/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 13, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 13, 2025 News CMS Seeks Public Input on Improving Technology to Empower Medicare Beneficiaries Posted 5/13/2025

Posting Date: 05/13/2025

Register Now and Join Us!

Register Now and Join Us! June 3-5, 2025 There's still time to register for the 2025 Spring Part B Virtual Conference. Immerse yourself in expert-led sessions designed to transform compliance understa...

Posting Date: 05/08/2025

Telehealth for Hospice Face-to-Face Recertification Extended Through September 30, 2025

Telehealth for Hospice Face-to-Face Recertification Extended Through September 30, 2025 Hospice physicians and nurse practitioners may continue to conduct the face-to-face encounter required for recer...

Posting Date: 05/08/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 8, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 8, 2025 News Direct Graduate Medical Education: Get Annual Update Factors Compliance Walkers: Prevent Claim Denials Events HCPCS Public Meeting — June 2–3 Medicare Adviso...

Posting Date: 05/08/2025

Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring Updates

Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring Updates The CMS MLN Booklet® Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring has been updated with important information effective 10/1/2025. Posted 5/8/2025

Posting Date: 05/07/2025

A/B and DME Collaborative YouTube Video

A/B and DME Collaborative YouTube Video The A/B DME MACs are offering a YouTube video on Urological Supplies. This DME video tutorial provides information about urological supply requirements. Posted ...

Posting Date: 05/02/2025

Provider Enrollment: Resources from NGSMedicare.com to Streamline the CMS-855A Application Process

Provider Enrollment: Resources from NGSMedicare.com to Streamline the CMS-855A Application Process To eliminate the need for additional information requests, NGS offers a variety of provider enrollmen...

Posting Date: 05/02/2025

Portable X-Ray Cost Analysis Survey

Portable X-Ray Cost Analysis Survey NGS, in collaboration with other MACs, has launched a crucial initiative to assess and update transportation allowances for portable X-ray services, as mandated by ...

Posting Date: 05/02/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 1, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 1, 2025 News Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule Preliminary Gapfill Rates: Submit Comments by June 28 Compliance Acute Care Hospital Outpatient Services for Hospice Enrolle...

Posting Date: 05/02/2025

Changes to the Written General Inquiries Process at National Government Services, Inc.

Changes to the Written General Inquiries Process at National Government Services, Inc. Effective 5/27/2025, NGS will no longer accept inquiries submitted through the postal service to any of our P.O. ...

Posting Date: 05/02/2025

2024 Medicare Cost Report Due Dates

2024 Medicare Cost Report Due Dates FYE 12/31/2024 cost reports are due by 6/2/2025. We strongly encourage early filing of the cost report. Early-filed cost reports that are rejected will receive a gr...

Posting Date: 04/30/2025

Helping Your Patients Stop Smoking

Helping Your Patients Stop Smoking Quitting Tobacco – Slips and Relapses Quitting smoking has health benefits at any age, no matter how long or how much you have smoked. If you slip or relapse, don’t ...

Posting Date: 04/30/2025

Provider Enrollment: NGSMedicare.com Resources to Streamline CMS Enrollment Form Process

Provider Enrollment: NGSMedicare.com Resources to Streamline CMS Enrollment Form Process To eliminate the need for additional information requests, NGS offers a variety of provider enrollment resource...

Posting Date: 04/29/2025

Register Now for the Spring 2025 Virtual Conference

Register Now for the Spring 2025 Virtual Conference Don’t miss the opportunity to register for the 2025 Spring Part B Virtual Conference: Understanding Medicare Compliance for Part B Providers! Enhanc...

Posting Date: 04/24/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 24, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 24, 2025 News Open Payments: Review Your Data by May 15 Medicare Shared Savings Program: Application Toolkit Materials MLN Matters® Articles Inpatient Psychiatric Facil...

Posting Date: 04/22/2025

Four Reasons Patients Fear Quitting Tobacco

Four Reasons Patients Fear Quitting Tobacco Stress: If you rely on cigarettes to loosen up during your day, you might worry about losing this release valve. It’s essential to remember that using nicot...

Posting Date: 04/21/2025

Revised and Updated Educational Frequently Asked Questions

Revised and Updated Educational Frequently Asked Questions Our educational FAQs have been updated. Please visit the Help and FAQs page under the Education section of our website to explore topics such...

Posting Date: 04/18/2025

Update-CMS Delay of Skin Substitutes Effective Date

Update-CMS Delay of Skin Substitutes Effective Date As part of the transition to a new Administration, CMS is reviewing its coverage policies for skin substitute products. CMS believes it is important...

Posting Date: 04/17/2025

New P.O. Boxes for Part B Claim Submitters in Connecticut and New York (Upstate Counties and Queens)

New P.O. Boxes for Part B Claim Submitters in Connecticut and New York (Upstate Counties and Queens) Effective 5/19/2025, National Government Services (NGS) is closing the following Paper Claim Submis...

Posting Date: 04/17/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 17, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 17, 2025 News Clotting Factors: Medicare Part B Pays for Alhemo & Qfitlia Skilled Nursing Facilities: Revalidation Deadline Extended to August 1 Raise Awareness & Under...

Posting Date: 04/15/2025

Part B Spring 2025 Virtual Conference: Register Now

Register Now! Register now for the 2025 Spring Part B Virtual Conference: Understanding Medicare Compliance for Part B Providers happening on June 3–5,2025. This event will offer innovative ideas and ...

Posting Date: 04/15/2025

Collaborative Surgical Dressings Webinar Coming May 6, 2025

Collaborative Surgical Dressings Webinar Coming May 6, 2025 This is your opportunity to hear directly from the Medicare contractors regarding Medicare’s criteria necessary for the coverage of surgical...

Posting Date: 04/14/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 14, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 14, 2025 FY 2026 Proposed Payment Rules CMS Seeks Public Input on Inpatient Hospital Whole-Person Care, Proposes Updates to Medicare Payments Inpatient Rehabilitation F...

Posting Date: 04/14/2025

Get Access to Keep Provider Enrollment Records Up To Date with Medicare

Get Access to Keep Provider Enrollment Records Up To Date with Medicare If you need to manage Medicare enrollment information for an individual provider or entity electronically through PECOS, you mus...

Posting Date: 04/11/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 11, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 11, 2025 News Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing Program: March 2025 Confidential Feedback Reports Skilled Nursing Faci...

Posting Date: 04/11/2025

National A/B MAC Ambulance Provider/Supplier Coalition Meeting Invite

National A/B MAC Ambulance Provider/Supplier Coalition Meeting Invite Attention Ambulance Suppliers and Providers Join the first virtual National A/B MAC Ambulance Provider/Supplier Coalition meeting ...

Posting Date: 04/10/2025

Prohibition of AI Assistant Usage for Recording Medicare Sessions

Prohibition of AI Assistant Usage for Recording Medicare Sessions National Government Services has observed a rise in attempts to use various AI assistants during NGS-hosted sessions. It is important ...

Posting Date: 04/10/2025

Benefits of Quitting Tobacco

Benefits of Quitting Tobacco Quitting tobacco use in any form is one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health. This is true regardless of their age or how long they have b...

Posting Date: 04/09/2025

Part A Top Reason Code changes

Part A Top Reason Code changes National Government Services, Inc. updates the Top Claim Errors on our website each quarter to ensure our Part A providers have the latest information on top claim error...

Posting Date: 04/08/2025

New Version of PC-ACE: April 2025

New Version of PC-ACE: April 2025 PC-ACE Version 6.6 contains several CMS mandates and product enhancements including but not limited to the items listed below. 13891 – Implement Operating Rules – Pha...

Posting Date: 04/08/2025

Upcoming Annual Logon ID Recertification for Minnesota Region

Upcoming Annual Logon ID Recertification for Minnesota Region All users who access the FISS DDE system are required by the CMS to recertify their access annually. National Government Services will des...

Posting Date: 04/08/2025

[URGENT] NGSConnex Experiencing Intermittent Issues

NGSConnex Experiencing Intermittent Issues We are experiencing intermittent outages with NGSConnex. This is impacting Part A providers only. In some cases when a provider account is selected to perfor...

Posting Date: 04/07/2025

Social Security Income Ratios

Social Security Income Ratios The federal fiscal year 2023 SSI ratios for IPPS hospitals, IRF and LTCH were posted on the CMS website. IPPS IRF LTCH NGS will update the latest published 2023 SSI ratio...

Posting Date: 04/04/2025

Top J6 Part B Claim Errors are Available

Top J6 Part B Claim Errors are Available We conduct a comprehensive data analysis on a quarterly basis to update and disseminate the latest insights on the most common claim errors. This initiative pr...

Posting Date: 04/04/2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 3, 2025

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 3, 2025 News Home Infusion Therapy & Intravenous Immune Globulin Services: Get Monitoring Reports Medicare Providers & Suppliers: Report Managing Employees External Use...

Posting Date: 04/01/2025

Provider Contact Center – Make the Most of Your Call

Provider Contact Center – Make the Most of Your Call As of 5/1/2025, the Provider Contact Center (PCC) will service one PTAN/NPI combination per call. Before calling the PCC, make the most of your cal...

Posting Date: 03/31/2025

National Government Services Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative Is Here

National Government Services Medicare Part B Redetermination Notice Initiative Is Here As previously announced, National Government Services is pleased to announce we are discontinuing issuing paper M...