Improving Redetermination Signature Process - JA DME

In our last article, we explained how all four DME MACs were working together to improve processes. In this article, we want to show you how, working together, we were able to improve your experience when submitting redeterminations.

As Program Managers or, those responsible for contract oversight and ensuring we provide exceptional service to you and CMS, our roles have evolved. We recognized several years ago that it was critical for both CGS and Noridian to work together and to unify processes to ensure consistency across all four jurisdictions. We call this collaboration.

Since the Jurisdiction A and B contracts were awarded, Noridian and CGS have created multiple operational collaboration workgroups. The workgroups meet regularly and provide us the opportunity to openly discuss ways we can work together to create consistency in how we process DME work. An example of the importance of our collaboration is recent national improvement in the appeals area.

The DME MAC Appeals workgroup collaborates to enhance the Medicare Appeals process by offering recommendations to CMS that will streamline the process, provide consistency and enhance the supplier experience. Based on data analysis of the redetermination workload, the workgroup identified the need to accept electronic/digital signatures as this has become a standard practice for companies as we move to a more electronic environment. The DME MACs' recommendation, to allow for electronic/digital signatures on the Redetermination Request form, was accepted by CMS with guidance provided to all MAC contractors in the spring of 2017. Previously electronic/digital signatures were only allowed on esMD or the MAC's portal submissions for redeterminations. All other forms of submission required the request to be dismissed and the supplier to refile with the required written signature.

Suppliers benefit from the implementation of the electronic signatures for redeterminations because the initiative significantly reduces dismissals and eliminates the need for suppliers to resubmit their redetermination requests with a traditional ink signature. With technology already in place across many supplier offices, CGS and Noridian thought electronic signatures was a logical next step in enhancing the redetermination process. Not only does this eliminate paper waste and time lost to print and sign redetermination requests, it ensures process consistency across all MAC contractors. Consistency is the key to our collaborative success and suppliers and CMS are the benefactors of these successes.

As Program Managers, we will provide you with a regular series of articles on our collaborative accomplishments so you can see how sharing best practices, streamlining processes and developing consistency improve your experiences with your DME MAC.