When you receive a request for medical documentation, it can take a lot of valuable time, money, and staff resources to compile all of the requested medical records and photocopy them to send to the auditors. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could send them electronically? Some physicians will now have that option as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new voluntary pilot project.
The pilot, Medicare’s Electronic Submission of Medical Documents (esMD), gives Medicare providers another way to submit documents to auditors in addition to fax and mail.
In order to send medical documents electronically to review contractors, Medicare providers must obtain access to a CONNECT-compatible gateway. This can be done by contracting or arranging it with a health information handler (HIH) that offers esMD gateway services.
During the first phase of the pilot, which went live on Sept. 15, 2011, providers will still receive medical record requests via mail but will have the option to electronically send medical documentation to the requesting review contractor. In the second phase, slated to launch in October 2012, providers will receive electronic documentation requests when their claims are selected for review.
For more information, including a list of which review contractors have been approved to participate in the esMD pilot and which ones are planning to participate in the future, read CMS’ MLN Matters.