Otolaryngology Coding Alert
Get Up to Speed on the New CMS-1500 Form
Make sure your software is ready to handle the changes Prepare for 6 Changes Deadline: Starting April 2, 2007, you-ll have to use new version 08-05 of form CMS-1500 to accommodate the new NPI numbers. In addition, a few small, non-NPI-related changes were made -to accommodate special needs,- the National Uniform Claims Committee (NUCC) says. The changes include: Verify That Your Software Is Current Contact your vendors now to make sure your software will be able to accommodate the new data fields and allow for printing adjustments. This -will likely be a very costly change for billers and providers because some software vendors will use this as an income avenue,- says Cyndee Weston, executive director of the American Medical Billing Association in Sulphur, Okla.
Just when you think you-re prepared for the National Provider Identifier (NPI) conversion, there's another hurdle to clear. You-ll soon be faced with a new version of the CMS-1500 Health Insurance Claim Form.
- The bar code at the top of the form was removed.
- Box 17a was shortened. You-ll use this box for ID numbers other than an NPI.
- Box 17b was added. You-ll put the referring physician's NPI here.
- Shaded lines were added to Box 24. This change accommodates NPIs and other ID numbers during the transition period and also allows you to report supplemental information, the NUCC says.
- In Box 24C, -Type of Service- was changed to -EMG.- This is a payer-specific emergency indicator.
- Boxes 32 and 33 were divided into two boxes to accommodate the NPI. Don't miss: In boxes 32 and 33, it is the first part---a---of the box that you-ll use for the NPI number, and box -b- is for other provider ID numbers.
This is the opposite of boxes 17 and 24i, in which the NPI goes after the other provider ID numbers.
Otolaryngology Coding Alert
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