Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Hospital-based renal dialysis facilities need to stop using their hospitals' provider numbers when billing for Part B outpatient renal services. That's the message from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in a Sept. 26 program memorandum (A-03-082; http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/pm_trans/A03082.pdf). "It is required that the assigned RDF provider number be used on the CMS-1450 billing form (or electronic equivalent)" when submitting claims for such services, CMS says. The RDF provider numbers are in the 2300-2499 series; hospital-based chronic RDFs should contact their CMS regional office if they don't already have a number. In other program memoranda, CMS: clarifies policies on how certified transplant centers should bill the costs of acquiring organs (A-03-081; http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/pm_trans/A03081.pdf); reminds Medicare contractors to update the blended rates for the ambulance fee schedule during the phase-in period (AB-03-146; http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/pm_trans/AB03146.pdf); outlines policies relating to beneficiaries want to receive care at religious nonmedical health care institutions (AB-03-145; http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/pm_trans/AB03145.pdf); and supplements instructions relating to coordination of benefits contractors (AB-03-142; http://cms.hhs.gov/manuals/pm_trans/AB03142.pdf).