The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented changes to Internet-based PECOS to allow providers easier access to information. The following enhancements are now available:
- Providers/suppliers can now submit the completed enrollment application with supporting documentation electronically with the new digital document feature. Hardcopies of the supporting documentation are no longer required to be mailed to the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). Please refer to the “Digital Documents Repository How to Guide” on the CMS website.
- Individual providers who reassign benefits to Individuals/Organizations with multiple practice locations can designate primary and secondary practice locations where services are rendered without restricting their provision of services at other associated Individuals’/Organizations’ practice locations. It is recommended that primary and secondary practice locations be specified, but this information is not required.
- Providers/suppliers can enter multiple contact persons in the Contact Information section and have the ability to identify the contact’s relationship to the Provider/Supplier. PECOS requires at least one contact person be entered in this section. Additional contacts and their relationships to the provider are optional.
- At least one managing employee must be listed when submitting a CMS-855A, CMS-855B and CMS-855S enrollment application or an error message will appear under the Error/Warning Check tab terminating the submission of the enrollment application. PECOS also recommends that at least one owner is entered for a CMS-855A, CMS-855B and CMS-855S application. Applications that do not include at least one owner receive a warning message under the Error/Warning Check tab; however, this warning message does not prevent the user from submitting the enrollment application.
- Providers/suppliers now have the option to select “County” in the “Geographic Location” topic when identifying the Geographic Location where services are rendered for CMS-855A and CMS-855B enrollment applications. Formerly, available options were State, City, or Zip Code. When selected, PECOS populates the county field with all counties that exist within the enrollment state identified on the application.
- The CMS-855O paper application for Medicare enrollment to order and refer services only has been redesigned for PECOS. Specialty providers that are currently enrolled in Medicare that are eligible to order and refer services are not required to submit a separate CMS-855O enrollment application solely to order and refer services.
To access Internet-based PECOS, go to the PECOS website at: https://pecos.cms.hhs.gov/pecos/login.do
If you have questions or concerns regarding the foregoing or would like additional information, please contact your regular Hall Render attorney, or Todd Selby at tselby@hallrender.com or 317.977.1440; Brian Jent at bjent@hallrender.com or 317.977.1402; or David Bufford at dbufford@hallrender.com or 502.568.9368.
