Accelerated Medicare Payments
Medicare will start accepting and processing the Accelerated/Advance Payment Requests immediately. CMS anticipates that the payments will be issued within seven days of the provider's request. An informational fact sheet on the accelerated/advance payment process and how to submit a request can be found
here.
NGS Accelerated/Advance Payment Hotline
National Government Services (NGS) is expanding services to support the provider community and has established a Hotline to help with accelerated/advance payment requests related to COVID-19: 888-802-3898.
Medicare Cost Reports
CMS will delay the filing deadline of FYE 10/31/2019 cost reports and FYE 11/30/2019 cost reports until June 30, 2020. CMS will also delay the filing deadline of the FYE 12/31/2019 cost reports until July 31, 2020.
Medicare Appeals
-CMS is allowing Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and Qualified Independent Contractors (QICs) in the FFS program and MA and Part D plans, as well as the Part C and Part D Independent Review Entities (IREs) to allow extensions to file an appeal and to waive certain requirements for timeliness for requests for additional information to adjudicate appeals.
-CMS is allowing MACs, QICs, MA and Part D plans, as well as the Part C and Part D IREs to process an appeal even with incomplete Appointment of Representation forms. However, any communications will only be sent to the beneficiary.
-CMS is allowing MACs, QICs, MA and Part D plans, as well as the Part C and Part D IREs to process requests for appeal that don't meet the required elements using information that is available.
-CMS is allowing MACs, QICs, MA and Part D plans, as well as the Part C and Part D IREs to utilize all flexibility available in the appeal process as if good cause requirements are satisfied.
