DME MAC Collaboration Unifies Processes for National Consistency - JA DME

March 7, 2018 | Updated January 16, 2019

The entire DME landscape has changed significantly since implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003. Over the past 14 years, "regions" have been replaced with jurisdictions and the number of contractors providing services to those jurisdictions has been streamlined to only two Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors (DME MAC): Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC (Noridian) jurisdiction A and D DME MAC in Fargo, North Dakota and CGS Administrators, LLC (CGS) jurisdictions B and C DME MAC, Nashville, Tennessee. Together, CGS and Noridian provide Medicare claims processing, customer service, education, and a variety of operational services for all suppliers in the United States and U.S. territories.

With two contractors responsible for the national Medicare supplier workload, the need to collaborate and unilaterally identify and implement operational and process consistencies was critical. This article provides you with information on how the Program Managers and their operational leadership for all four DME MAC jurisdictions, work together to unify processes and that impact DME suppliers and their customers.

Noridian and CGS Program Managers oversee a variety of operational, collaborative workgroups that meet monthly to discuss opportunities for national DME MAC process improvements. Those discussions become action plans which are then implemented across all four DME MAC jurisdictions. Program Managers coordinate directly with CMS. This insures that collaborative improvements align with, and are approved by, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Program Managers publish periodic articles to showcase process improvements; you will recognize these articles by the title A DME MAC Program Manager Update.

So, who are the DME MAC jurisdiction Program Managers?

A DME MAC Program Manager Update: Co-Branded Education from CGS and Noridian

This national collaboration includes providing co-branded education for selected topics. The term "co-branded" means the DME MACs created a single training document to be used when educating suppliers in all four jurisdictions. Our aim is to provide the most complete education possible with the greatest consistency. Each contractor retains their own “Resources and Reminders” portion of the presentations, as many are specific to that contractor. Co-branded education presentations will have a different look with a distinctive style and color, enhancing co-brand recognition. At the beginning of each webinar, the host will announce that it is a co-branded webinar, and a notation will appear on the cover slide.

CGS and Noridian look forward to your input on our increased consistency and collaboration. Please be sure to attend upcoming co-branded webinars and provide us with feedback on this initiative in the survey comments at the conclusion of presentation.