This notice is a reminder that Medicare credit balance reports (CMS-838) for the quarter ending 3/31/2022 are due by 4/30/2022.

Certification page

When preparing your credit balance report (CMS-838), be sure to fill in all required fields on the Certification page: Provider Name, Provider 6-Digit Number, Calendar Quarter End Date, Signed or electronic signature, Printed Name and Title, Current Date, Box Checked, Contact Person and Telephone number. Important: If any of these fields are not completed, your Credit Balance Report will not be accepted. Please consider the following situations as you prepare your credit balance report for this quarter.

Detail page

1. If a credit balance has already been reported in a previous quarter, it is not to be reported again on a subsequent period report.
2. Detail page requires specific information on each credit balance on a claim- by-claim basis. An electronic file (or hard copy) of the detail page is available from your FI. You may submit the detail page(s) on a diskette furnished by your contractor or by a secure electronic transmission as long as the transmission method and format are acceptable to your FI. Verify columns 1-9 are fully completed and legible. The amount in Column 9(Amount of Medicare Credit) should equal the amount in Column 10(if the debt has already been repaid) or Column 12(Amount of Medicare credit balance still owed). There should not be an amount listed in both Column 10 and Column 12. Important: If any of these fields are not completed correctly, your Credit Balance Report will not be accepted.
3. Only report Part B services you provide which are billed to your Fiscal Intermediary. It does not pertain to physician and supplier services to carriers.
4. If a paper or electronic adjustment bill has been submitted during the quarter, but has not yet processed, please attempt to discover the status of the adjustment before reporting it on the CMS-838 at the end of the quarter. If the adjustment bill has been returned or rejected, you will need to include it on the quarter’s report since it not pending in our payment system for processing.

Reminder: Based on current instructions in CMS IOM Pub 100-6, Chapter 12, providers not filing their quarterly reports by the due date face possible interest assessment. Failure to comply with the stipulated reporting requirements can also result in the suspension of all Medicare payments.

For additional information on submitting your CMS-838 Report, visit our Medicare web page at Credit Balance Reports.

All Providers: Fax your CMS-838 to 1-701-277-7881