Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
No Time Limit to Change Charts
Published on Mon Feb 16, 2004 
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Some providers believe that they have a limited time, such as 30 days after discharge, to amend the documentation in a patient's chart. But attorney Bryan Bailey with Gallagher & Kennedy in Phoenix says he's not aware of any specific law or regulation imposing a time limit on making additions. "It's not a matter of changing the chart, it's a matter of adding information," Bailey says. Just make sure the additional entry is dated so anyone can see that you added it later.
"I believe you have 12 months from the date of service to submit the claim for Medicare to make payment," Bailey says. "That's all that's out there on the subject."
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