Medicare- Provider Participation Enrollment Deadline Extended
February 1, 2011 – On December 22, 2011, CMS announced that it would extend the 2012 Annual Participation Enrollment Period for providers until February 14, 2012. Physicians have until that time to determine their Medicare participation status for 2012.
The effective date for any participation status change during the extension, remains January 1, 2012, and will be in force the entire year.
Physicians have three status choices:
- Sign participation agreements (PAR) and agree to accept Medicare’s allowed charge as payment in full for all of their Medicare patients;
- Decline to sign participation agreements (non-PAR), accept assignment on a case-by-case basis, and balance bill subject to limits imposed by Medicare and/or state law; or
- Opt-out of Medicare and become private contracting physicians, agreeing to bill patients directly and forego any payments from Medicare to their patients or themselves. However, in order to become a private contractor, physicians must give 30 days’ notice before the first day of the quarter the contract takes effect. Once physicians have opted-out of Medicare, under current law, they cannot submit claims to Medicare for any of their patients for a two-year period.
Medicare contractors will accept and process any participation elections or withdrawals made during the extended enrollment period that are post-marked on or before February 14, 2012.
For more information, click below.
Tags: Provider Enrollment
