Tips to Find Local Coverage Determinations and Billing and Coding Instructions (REVISED 4/6/2022)

Tips to Find Local Coverage Determinations and Billing and Coding Instructions (REVISED 4/6/2022) We often receive suggestions through our website surveys to make it easier to find LCDs and the associated Billing and Coding articles. All [...]

Tips to Find Local Coverage Determinations and Billing and Coding Instructions

Tips to Find Local Coverage Determinations and Billing and Coding Instructionssp We frequently receive suggestions through our website surveys to make it easier to find LCDs and the associated Billing and Coding articles. All LCDs and [...]

New Local Coverage Determination for Sacroiliac Joint Injections and Procedures

New Local Coverage Determination for Sacroiliac Joint Injections and Procedures National Government Services, as your MAC, is bringing to your attention a newly created LCD policy change that will effect providers who render and bill for [...]

Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting Announcement

Local Coverage Determination Open Meeting Announcement Jurisdiction 6/Jurisdiction K Part A/Part B MAC Open Meeting Date Meeting Time Meeting Location Wednesday, 2/24/2021 12:00‒4:00 p.m. CT 1:00‒5:00 p.m. ET [...]

National Government Services Proposed LCDs for Comment

National Government Services Proposed LCDs for Comment The proposed LCDs listed below are being presented for comment for the Jurisdiction 6 and Jurisdiction K MACs. The formal comment period extends from 2/10/2022 through 3/26/2022. These [...]

National Government Services Proposed LCDs For Comment

National Government Services Proposed LCDs For Comment The proposed LCDs listed below are being presented for comment for the Jurisdiction 6 and Jurisdiction K MACs. The formal comment period extends from 2/2/2023 through 3/18/2023. These [...]

Revised Coverage Policies for Facet Joint Interventions for Pain Management

Revised Coverage Policies for Facet Joint Interventions for Pain Management FUTURE Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Facet Joint Interventions for Pain Management (L35936) Billing and Coding: Facet Joint Interventions for Pain Management [...]

The Great American Smokeout is Thursday 11/16/2023 - Let's Talk About Tobacco Counseling

The Great American Smokeout is Thursday 11/16/2023 - Let's Talk About Tobacco Counseling Do you treat Medicare beneficiaries/patients who are nicotine dependent? Did you know Medicare has a preventive service for tobacco cessation that allows [...]

JK Applying for an Extended Repayment Schedule

Phonetic Alphabet

table, td, th table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%; } Phonetic Alphabet To assist you when speaking terms that are alpha-numeric, we have implemented the phonetic alphabet. When speaking an alpha character, please use the [...]

Announcement About Medicare Participation for Calendar Year 2024

Announcement About Medicare Participation for Calendar Year 2024 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has posted the Announcement About Medicare Participation for Calendar Year 2024. Posted 11/14/2023

MLN Connects® Special Edition for Monday, August 1, 2022

MLN Connects® Special Edition for Monday, August 1, 2022 New CMS Rule Increases Payments for Acute Care Hospitals & Advances Health Equity, Maternal Health​​​​​​​ On August 1, CMS issued a final rule for inpatient and long-term care [...]

EDI Enrollment Spotlights Packet Completion Times

EDI Enrollment Spotlights Packet Completion Times We ask that you allow seven – ten business days for processing of all requests. All requests are worked in the order in which they are received. Currently, our processing times are taking a [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: April 27, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter:  April 27, 2023 News Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Updates For the First Time, HHS Is Making Ownership Data for All Medicare-Certified Hospice and Home Health Agencies Publicly Available [...]

NGS Cost Report Submission Reminders

NGS Cost Report Submission Reminders We strongly encourage filing of the cost report via the Medicare Cost Report E‐Filing (MCReF) System. If the cost report is submitted via MCReF, it does not need to be mailed Cost Report submissions [...]

Ways to Submit Requests

Ways to Submit Requests NGSConnex Part A: NGSConnex User Guide Part B: NGSConnex User Guide esMD Content type 8.5 Fax JK: 317-841-4530 J6: 317-841-4528 Mail National Government Services, Inc. [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 4, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter:  May 4, 2023 News FAQs on CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Guidance for the Expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Over-the-Counter [...]

New versus Established Patients

New versus Established Patients We’ve updated this frequently asked question based on recent clarification from CMS. Please clarify appropriate billing for outpatient/office services when a consulting provider has already performed a [...]

Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment: A/B and DME Collaborative Presentation

Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment: A/B and DME Collaborative Presentation   View the A/B and DME Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment YouTube video for information on oxygen. Posted 5/5/2023

[URGENT] Part A DDE is Available!

[URGENT] Part A DDE is Available! Part A DDE is available and can be accessed by Part A, HHH and FQHC providers. The issue of providers not being able to sign is due to an unexpected change in the Data Center Menu options. Part A DDE [...]

Urgent News: May 2023 Dark Days for Data Center Migration Postponed

Urgent News: May 2023 Dark Days for Data Center Migration Postponed The Medicare Part A CMS Data Center Migration scheduled for 5/12/2023 to 5/15/2023 has been postponed. All systems and IVR will be available on 5/15/2023. For FISS DDE users, [...]

Provider Enrollment: Resumed Revalidation Activities

Provider Enrollment: Resumed Revalidation Activities Attention: Provider Enrollment and Credentialing Departments Activities have resumed with revalidation due dates starting with 1/31/2022. Don’t wait to revalidate if CMS assigned a current [...]

Medicare Part A CMS Data Center Migration – Rescheduled May 2023 Dark Days for Data Center Migration

May 2023 Dark Days for CMS Data Center Migration – Rescheduled May 2023 Dark Days for Data Center Migration As we previously communicated, the Medicare Part A CMS Data Center Migration was postponed. The new date for the migration is [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 11, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter:  May 11, 2023 News CMS Roundup (May 5, 2023) Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System: Report Information Compliance Bill Correctly: Power Mobility Devices Repairs MLN Matters® [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 18, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter:  May 18, 2023 News COVID-19: Public Health Emergency Ended May 11 End of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency FAQs Advancing Health Equity Through The CMS Innovation Center: First Year Progress And What’s To [...]

Medical Review: Targeted Probe and Educate Review Topics Updated

Medical Review: Targeted Probe and Educate Review Topics Updated The Medical Review: TPE Review Topics page on our website has been updated. This page lists the topics and CPT codes under review by the National Government Services MR [...]

Jurisdiction K MAC Fact Sheet

Jurisdiction K Medicare Administrative Contractor Fact Sheet National Government Services, Inc. has a long history of supporting federal health agencies such as CMS. Throughout the country, NGS has efficient operation, financial and human [...]

Jurisdiction 6 MAC Fact Sheet

Jurisdiction 6 Medicare Administrative Contractor Fact Sheet National Government Services, Inc. has a long history of supporting federal health agencies such as CMS. Throughout the country, NGS has efficient operation, financial and human [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: CMS Proposes Policies to Improve Patient Safety and Promote Health Equity — April 10, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter: CMS Proposes Policies to Improve Patient Safety and Promote Health Equity — April 10, 2023 Proposed Rule CMS Proposes Policies to Improve Patient Safety and Promote Health Equity Posted 4/11/2023

NGS Telehealth Billing FAQs for COVID-19

NGS Telehealth Billing FAQs for COVID-19 Changes What has changed in Medicare coverage for telehealth services? Answer: There are 85 new codes added to the list of services that can be delivered via telehealth. List of Telehealth [...]

Accessing the NGS FISS DDE System

Accessing the NGS FISS DDE System As we previously communicated via the May 2023 Dark Days for CMS Data Migration - Rescheduled May 2023 Dark Days for Data Center Migration, the Medicare Part A CMS Data Center Migration took place this past [...]

Attention Home Health and Hospice Providers Using NGSConnex to Submit Level One Appeals Redetermination Requests

Attention Home Health and Hospice Providers Using NGSConnex to Submit Level One Appeals Redetermination Requests National Government Services strongly recommends that all providers, including home health and hospice agencies, utilize NGSConnex [...]

Billing and Coding Article Updates for May and June 2023

Billing and Coding Article Updates for May and June 2023 Self-Administered Drug Exclusion List: Medical Policy Article A53021 (JK) and A53022 (J6) The article has been updated to add: Adalimumab-aacf (Idacio®), Adalimumab-afzb (Abrilada™), [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: May 25, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter:  May 25, 2023 News DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program: Temporary Gap Period Starts January 1 CMS Roundup (May 19, 2023) Medicare Providers: Deadlines for Joining an Accountable Care Organization [...]

Billing and Reimbursement for Penile Pressure Cuff

Billing and Reimbursement for Penile Pressure Cuff Effective 6/1/2023, when billing for penile pressure cuff used for the provision of a voiding pressure study, please submit using CPT code 55899 (unlisted procedure, male genital [...]

Part A Claims for High Cost Items and Certain Drugs Requiring Additional Information

Part A Claims for High Cost Items and Certain Drugs Requiring Additional Information National Government Services has noticed that when a claim RTPs for additional information to be added to the Remarks Field (FL 80, or electronic [...]

How to Avoid Duplicate Claim Denials

July 2023 Release "Dark Days" for the Common Working File Hosts

July 2023 Release "Dark Days" for the Common Working File Hosts For the upcoming July 2023 Release: For Production, CWF will be observing the Gray Day on Thursday, 6/29/2023 and Dark Days starting Friday, 6/30/2023 through Sunday, 7/2/2023 to [...]

Best Practices for a Successful Targeted Probe and Educate Review

End of Public Health Emergency

End of the Public Health Emergency Frequently Asked Questions

End of the Public Health Emergency Frequently Asked Questions We’ve added new frequently asked questions to our website. We encourage our providers to view answers to questions about the End of the Public Health Emergency to ensure you have [...]

Drugs and Biologicals Frequently Asked Questions

Drugs and Biologicals Frequently Asked Questions We’ve added new frequently asked questions to our website. We encourage our providers to view answers to common questions about Drugs and Biologicals to ensure you have the information you need [...]

Government Efforts to Combat Cancer Deaths Related to Tobacco

Government Efforts to Combat Cancer Deaths Related to Tobacco Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths. Lung cancer is what normally is thought of when talking about tobacco and cancer, but there are other [...]

Ways to Submit Requests

Ways to Submit Requests Suppliers have multiple options to submit PA requests to NGS. NGSConnex (preferred) Electronic submission of medical documentation (esMD) Fax JK: 315-442-4178 J6: 717-565-3840 U.S. Mail National [...]

Rhinoplasty and Related Services

General Documentation Requirements for Rhinoplasty and Related Services Checklist of prior authorization request (PAR) information to include: Medical documentation, with evaluation and management, supporting medical necessity of the [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 15, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 15, 2023 News Inflation Reduction Act Continues to Lower Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs for Drugs with Price Increases Above Inflation CMS Announces Multi-State Initiative to Strengthen Primary Care [...]

Reactivating Reason Code 31755

Reactivating Reason Code 31755 As of 1/3/2023, reason code 31755 was reactivated per CMS instructions. This means the revenue code 0023 line-item date of service must match the date of service for the first home health visit on the claim. [...]

Manual Review of Claims for Replacement of Supplies and Accessories used with External Ventricular Assist Device

Manual Review of Claims for Replacement of Supplies and Accessories used with External Ventricular Assist Device VAD supplies and accessories are billed using HCPCS codes Q0507, Q0508 and Q0509 as applicable. When billing for VAD supplies, [...]

Claims Department Requires Additional Information for Processing Certain Services

Claims Department Requires Additional Information for Processing Certain Services Are you having difficulty with what must be provided when we ask for additional information to process your claim? If so, the following articles should assist in [...]

Panniculectomy, Excision of Excess Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (Including Lipectomy) and Related Services

General Documentation Requirements for Panniculectomy, Excision of Excess Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (Including Lipectomy) and Related Services Checklist of prior authorization request (PAR) information to include: Stable weight loss [...]

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 22, 2023

MLN Connects® Newsletter: June 22, 2023 News CMS Roundup (June 16, 2023) Lower Endoscopy: Comparative Billing Report in June Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database: July Update Behavioral Health Integration Services: Get Information [...]

Prior Authorization Request for Outpatient Services: Facet Joint Interventions

Dental Services 2023

Dental Services 2023 The CMS clarified what Medicare payments may be made for medically necessary dental services that are an integral part of a covered primary medical procedure. We’ve posted this new information in the Dental Services [...]

End of the Public Health Emergency

End of the Public Health Emergency We’ve received many questions related to end of the public health emergency and changes to waivers that CMS put in place during the COVID-19 PHE. To assist our providers, we’ve developed the CMS Waivers and [...]

COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Returning to Providers - Reason Code 32287

Claims for COVID-19 vaccine administration performed on the same DOS as another vaccine administration (e.g., PPV, flu or tetanus) are incorrectly being returned to providers with RC 32287.

Part A Anesthesia Claim Returning to Providers in Error

CMS has instructed all MACs to hold all Part A 13X and 85X TOBs for anesthesia services with DOS on or after 1/1/2022 until CMS fully implements a replacement file for these claims.

Temporary Holding for Some Part B Claims

The CMS billing instructions for G0378 indicate a single line of coding with a NOS of at least eight, with all UOS on a single line and the DOS being the date of the original observation order. Claim editing changes implemented in July, 2021 [...]

Billing and Coding Article Updates for July 2023

Billing and Coding Article Updates for July 2023 Billing and Coding: Bevacizumab and Biosimilars (A52370) Based on Compendia review, ICD-10 codes Z85.09 and Z85.42 have been added to the Group 1 code list effective for dates of service on or [...]

Telehealth Home Health Billing

Telehealth Home Health Billing  As a reminder to all home health agencies, telehealth billing becomes mandatory on home health claims for periods of care that start on or after 7/1/2023. There is an article detailing how to report [...]