The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has decided to ease guidelines concerning auditors’ requests for additional documentation. CMS is giving providers a small break by saying auditors should accept additional documentation submissions in a variety of ways.

The statement on submission methods for the additional requests originally read: “Reviewers shall be clear in their ADR letters about what documentation submission methods they will accept from a provider or Health Information Handler.”

Now, an additional line in a Medicare program integrity clarification issued Friday says Medicare Administrative Contractors, Comprehensive Error Rate Testing contractors and Recovery Auditors should accept “paper, fax, CD/DVD, and electronic submission of medical documentation (esMD).”

Additional updates say that imaged medical documentation files on CD/DVD “may be mailed by any means” and that MACs, CERTS and RACS should provide a physical mailing address, not just a Post Office box number.

The guideline goes into effect Oct. 21.