Important Information on the Timely Claims Filing Requirement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would like to remind Medicare Fee-For-Service physicians, providers and suppliers submitting claims to Medicare for payment, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), effective immediately, all claims for services furnished on or after Jan 1, 2010, must be filed with your Medicare contractor no later than one calendar year (12 months) from the date of service – or Medicare will deny them.

In general, the start date for determining the 1-year timely filing period is the date of service or “From” date on the claim.  For institutional claims that include span dates of service (i.e., a “From” and “Through” date on the claim), the “Through” date on the claim is used for determining the date of service for claims filing timeliness.  For claims submitted by physicians and other suppliers that include span dates of service, the line item “From” date is used for determining the date of service for claims filing timeliness.
For additional information about the new maximum period for claims submission filing dates, contact your Medicare contractor, or review the MLN Matters articles listed below related to this subject:         
§  MM6960 – “Systems Changes Necessary to Implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Section 6404 - Maximum Period for Submission of Medicare Claims Reduced to Not More Than 12 Months” – http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6960.pdf on the CMS website.

§  MM7080 – “Timely Claims Filing: Additional Instructions” – http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM7080.pdf on the CMS website.
§  MM7270 – “Changes to the Time Limits for Filing Medicare Fee-for-Service Claims – http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM7270.pdf on the CMS website.

You can also listen to a podcast on this subject by visiting http://www.cms.gov/CMSFeeds/02_listofpodcasts.asp on the CMS website.

Dallas L Alford IV, CPA is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of North Carolina and owner of Atlantic Financial Consulting, a consulting firm that provides comprehensive medical billing services, practice management consulting, coding audits, Medicare compliance, Medicare RAC support and other general medical practice consulting services.
To learn more about Atlantic Financial Consulting you may visit their website at http://atlanticfinancial.us or contact Dallas L Alford IV, CPA directly at 1 888-428-2555, Ext. 200.