We report in the current issue of Part B News that you could get a revalidation notice from CMS this year, even for providers who already have recordsin the agency’s Provider Enrollment Chain Ownership System (PECOS).

Remember: CMS had previously said no providers with existing PECOS records would get revalidation notices until January 2012, when a big “wave” of notices would be sent out. The culprits are active provider transaction account numbers (PTANs), which cause the revalidations to be sent when they are on file with a Medicare contractor but not listed in a provider’s PECOS record, CMS has said. Now the agency has answered some questions about the PTAN and revalidation issue.

You and your peers may get quicker reimbursements from CMS on newly FDA-approved devices thanks to a just-launched parallel review program, according to a CMS news release. The pilot program would permit both CMS and the FDA to simultaneously review a device for approval and coverage, eliminating the gap between a device’s FDA approval and its coverage under Medicare.

This means that your practice could be offering and, of course, getting paid for services with the latest technology the on which FDA bestows approval.

 You’ll have an easier time forking over your $505 Medicare enrollment fee thanks to CMS integrating its web-based Provider Enrollment Chain Ownership System (PECOS) into Pay.gov, the federal government’s national online payment portal. Remember:The $505 enrollment fee applies to institutional providers, suppliers of durable medical equipment/supplies and independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTFs). Your physicians and non-physician practitioners must also pay the $505 if they provide DME, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies.

CMS plans to install the newest round of health reform changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans such as closing the donut hole and more MA benefits set to take effect in 2013 via the Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs proposed rule, an Oct. 3 CMS news release says. 

Rite Aid, the nationwide drug store chain, is now allowing customers to have face-to-face virtual consultations with providers in its stores. The service is very similar to Medicare’s telehealth services, but are not covered by Medicare currently. It also seems like the next step up from in-pharmacy consultations with non-physician providers such as nurse practitioners – the model used by MinuteClinic, which operates in CVS pharmacies.