.jpg)
Providers in Virginia are currently under the jurisdiction of TrailBlazer for Part B Medicare services, but they'll soon be dealing with Palmetto GBA instead. It's another milestone in the ongoing Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) transitions, which have been carried out piecemeal, over an extended period of time, thanks to delays from protests by the MACs and would-be MACs.
Starting March 19, the J11 A/B MAC for Part B services in Virginia will be Palmetto GBA, a subisdiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. "We anticipate a smooth implementation and have taken measures to minimize the effect on your day-to-day operations," Palmetto writes in a Feb. 17 letter to affected providers.
If you are in the affected area, you should've submitted new electronic funds transfer (EFT) agreements to Palmetto by Feb. 28 in order to avoid any payment disruptions. Here's a summary of what you must do if you are in Virginia:
-
Update the payer identification number you use with Palmetto's number (11302), for claims submitted on and after March 19.
-
Submit EFT agreement to Palmetto as mentioned above.
-
Register for Palmetto's online provider services website (https://www5.palmettogba.com/ecx_improvev2/), which will let you check patient eligibility, claims status, remittance advices and financial information online.
-
Sign up to receive automatic updates from Palmetto's listserv on the usual suspects -- coding and billing changes, claims processing updates, etc. -- by visiting www.palmettoGBA.com/J11B.
-
Call Palmetto's toll-free implementation hotline with any time-sensitive, burning questions at (888) 791-1938.