Ways to Improve Processes Related to QMBs
Proactive steps to identify QMB individuals you serve and to communicate with State Medicaid Agencies (and Medicare Advantage plans if applicable), can promote compliance with QMB balance billing prohibitions.
1. Determine effective means to identify QMB individuals among your patients. Find out what cards are issued to QMB individuals so you can in turn ask all your patients if they have them. Learn if you can query state systems to verify QMB enrollment among your patients. If you are a Medicare Advantage provider contact the plan to determine how to identify the plan’s QMB enrollees.
2. Discern what billing processes apply to seek reimbursement for Medicare cost-sharing from the States in which you operate. Different processes may apply to original Medicare and MA services provided to QMB beneficiaries. For original Medicare claims, nearly all states have electronic crossover processes through the Medicare Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC) to automatically receive Medicareadjudicated claims.
• If a claim is automatically crossed over to another payer, such as Medicaid, it is customarily noted on the Medicare Remittance Advice. • Understand the processes you need to follow to request reimbursement for Medicare cost-sharing amounts if they are owed by your State. You may need to complete a State Provider Registration Process and be entered into the State payment system to bill the State.
3. Make sure that your billing software and administrative staff exempt QMB individuals from Medicare cost-sharing billing and related collection efforts.
Proactive steps to identify QMB individuals you serve and to communicate with State Medicaid Agencies (and Medicare Advantage plans if applicable), can promote compliance with QMB balance billing prohibitions.
1. Determine effective means to identify QMB individuals among your patients. Find out what cards are issued to QMB individuals so you can in turn ask all your patients if they have them. Learn if you can query state systems to verify QMB enrollment among your patients. If you are a Medicare Advantage provider contact the plan to determine how to identify the plan’s QMB enrollees.
2. Discern what billing processes apply to seek reimbursement for Medicare cost-sharing from the States in which you operate. Different processes may apply to original Medicare and MA services provided to QMB beneficiaries. For original Medicare claims, nearly all states have electronic crossover processes through the Medicare Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC) to automatically receive Medicareadjudicated claims.
• If a claim is automatically crossed over to another payer, such as Medicaid, it is customarily noted on the Medicare Remittance Advice. • Understand the processes you need to follow to request reimbursement for Medicare cost-sharing amounts if they are owed by your State. You may need to complete a State Provider Registration Process and be entered into the State payment system to bill the State.
3. Make sure that your billing software and administrative staff exempt QMB individuals from Medicare cost-sharing billing and related collection efforts.