The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a quarterly update to its 2010 Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Suppliers (DMEPOS) Fee Schedule.
Change Request 6945
includes a new business-requirements table. It also states that the following new modifiers have been revised as follows to apply to O&P, effective April 1, 2010:
- RA: Replacement of a DME, orthotic, or prosthetic item.
- RB: Replacement of a part of a DME, orthotic, or prosthetic item furnished as part of a repair.
CMS stated, “Suppliers should continue to use the RA modifier on DMEPOS claims to denote instances where an item is furnished as a replacement for the same item which has been lost, stolen, or irreparably damaged. Likewise, the RB modifier should continue to be used on DMEPOS claims to indicate replacement parts of a DMEPOS item (base equipment/device) furnished as part of the service of repairing the DMEPOS item (base equipment/device).”
CMS also shortened the reasonable useful lifetime expectancy for a reusable, self-adhesive nipple prosthesis from five years to three months.
The implementation date for these changes is July 6, 2010. The revisions to the RA and RB modifier are effective April 1, 2010. All other changes, including the change to the nipple-prosthesis lifetime expectancy, is July 1, 2010.
