Most of your peers are happy with their Medicare contractors, but Part B contractors scored lower than other types, especially for enrollment as a business function, according to the latest 2011 Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS).
Overall, the average score for provider performance was 3.77 out of 5.00, or about 75.4%. The results for 2011 have changed little from 2010, according to the executive summary of the survey, which is commissioned annually by CMS.
Here’s a brief rundown on the highlights:
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About 72% of providers said they were “satisfied or very satisfied” with their contractor’s overall performance
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About 13% of providers said they were “dissatisfied or very dissatisfied”
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Satisfaction with Part A and durable medical equipment (DME) contractors were high at 74%, while Part B MACs scored 69% and also had higher dissatisfaction at 15%, versus just 10% for Part A and DME contractors
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Audit/reimbursement and claims processing functions were rated highly, with satisfaction rates of 76% of 74%, while provider enrollment and claims appeals were rated much lower, at 53% and 60% respectively
The survey respondents said that contractors could improve their performance by resolving problems with just one provider inquiry (instead of several), by being more consistent in decisions, and by returning phone calls more quickly. Check out the complete results yourself by viewing the public MCPSS report.