Pending changes designed to ease Medicare appeals will save providers and patients millions of dollars, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The final rule issued on Friday will make several technical tweaks for Medicare providers and beneficiaries who are challenging denied claims.
“These changes help to streamline the appeals process and reduce administrative burden on providers, suppliers, beneficiaries and appeal adjudicators,” CMS noted in the rule. “These revisions, which include technical corrections, also help to ensure the regulations are clearly arranged and written to give stakeholders a better understanding of the appeals process.”
More than 284,000 appeal requests are dismissed each year because signatures are missing. This change alone could save almost $11.8 million in costs for administrative and independent contractors who handle appeals, CMS noted.
The American Health Care Association said in a statement Monday that it “supports efficiencies that facilitate the appeals process, reduce administrative burden, and ensure beneficiaries have access to the appropriate benefits.”
The rule will be published in the Federal Register today and takes effect in 60 days.
