Recently, the Part A/B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) joined forces to educate on issues of mutual concern regarding claim errors. The partnership led to creation of the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT A/B) Contractor Task Force with the full support of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). According to the MACs, the CERT A/B Contractor Task Force will serve to enhance, not replace, the ongoing educational activities by CMS, the Medicare Learning Network (MLN), and the MACs within their jurisdictions.
The A/B CERT Contractor Task Force will select one to four national CERT “hot topics” each year. The topics may focus on multiple provider types, or focus on certain specialties or facility types. The group will then periodically publish scenario-driven articles with tips focused on avoiding specific errors. Each contractor will also highlight the scenarios in any of its individual educational activities. Each contractor will host a dedicated page on its website for the CERT A/B Contractor Task Force and its communications. Providers will be able to access all communications for the task force on this page.
Over the next few months, the CERT A/B Contractor Task Force will conduct a campaign to inform hospitals, home health, hospice, physician billing and compliance staff, and practitioners within all jurisdictions on this new initiative. The campaign kicks off with the first national CERT A/B Contractor Task Force Open Door Teleconference on Tuesday, August 20, 2013, from 2-3 p.m. ET. Providers will learn more about the task force’s goals and future education plans, as well as have the opportunity to offer their recommendations. Click here to register.
