CMS asks for input on Medicaid income eligibility

Healthcare and Medicare providers that experience financial woes as a result of the new National Provider Identifier standard may qualify for advance or accelerated payments, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

CMS implemented the NPI standard on May 23 of this year. The new standard requires all healthcare providers and suppliers who submit claims to Medicare contractors to use their NPIs to identify themselves on those claims. Without the NPI – a unique 10-digit number – Medicare claims will be rejected.

Under certain circumstances, CMS and its Medicare contractors will consider offering accelerated payments, though they add that most providers without an NPI will not be considered for the advance or accelerated payments, as they “have been given ample time to secure an NPI.”

For more information, go to www.cms.hhs.gov.