Even if you’ve been filing Medicare claim form 1500 for years, effective April 1, 2014 your process is about to change. This is the date that CMS’ new 2/12 1500 form becomes required for providers filing paper claims. The new form was primarily modified to primarily account for the implementation of ICD-10 later this year. But along with those changes, there were a variety of other modifications that are essential you know about to be able to use the form correctly.
It’s imperative that you not take the changes to this crucial form lightly. CMS 2/12 1500 Claim Form is the key to clear communication between your practice and the Medicare carriers that pay you for your services. Get it wrong, and your claims don’t get paid (or if they do eventually get paid, it’ll be because you had to fight for them). But, if you take the time to learn how to complete this new version of the form correctly, you’ll save yourself reduced cash flow and a huge headache.
Here are just a few of the key modifications to the new 2/12 1500 Claim Form that you should take note of:
• Reduce denials by correctly applying ICD-10 diagnoses with the expansion from 4 to 12 codes
• Additional identifier for auto, homeowners, or worker’s comp insurers (or related carriers) to get your claims paid
• Utilize new descriptors and codes in “Other Treatment Dates” (block 15) so your claims get processed more quickly.
• Provider identification code placement modified, don’t skip over this easy to miss change
• Decimals and Spaces: If you don’t know where these requirements changed, get ready for a load of denials
