Optometry Coding & Billing Alert

Published on Thu Jan 12, 2006 PDF

CMS hopes new site will be 'easier to browse by audience or topic'

Mention the Medicare Web site to most any coding and billing specialist, and you-ll hear how difficult it can be to find the information you need. CMS hopes to change that image starting December 15, 2005, with a revamped, better organized Web site.

Visit www.cms.hhs.gov after December 15 and you-ll see the new pages, which Medicare -reorganized to make it easier to browse by audience or topic,- the agency says. New -Center- links provide information targeted to specific audiences, such as beneficiaries or providers.

The -Medicare Fee for Service Provider- center includes links to pages developed specifically for physicians, hospitals, and other Medicare providers and suppliers. The -People With Medicare and Medicaid- center has pages designed for beneficiaries.

The new site features a -Browse By Audience- feature, through which you can also view the audience-specific content. For example, clicking on -Physician Center- in the -Browse by Audience- menu takes you to a page featuring links to the National Physician Fee Schedule, CMS manuals and forms and National Correct Coding Initiative information.

The -CMS Programs- area on the home page is divided into primary topic areas, including -Medicare,- -Medicaid,- -Regulations & Guidance- and -Research, Statistics, Data & Systems.- Selecting the -Medicare- topic takes you to an index page divided into categories, including -General Information- and -Billing.-

The redesigned Web site also features improved search functionality from the Google search engine, which CMS hopes will -make it even easier for you to locate information.-

To see the new Web site, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov.