On July 5, 2011, CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services began pilot testing a program for the new Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal (WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal). Pilot testing of the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal has now been completed and CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be conducting a Town Hall conference call on November 29, 2011 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm (EST) to introduce the initiative to all submitters of proposed Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Asides (WCMSAs). During the conference call, CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services will answer questions regarding the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal. Submitters who wish to utilize the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal must first register and complete account setup.
After the Town Hall conference call, CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services will post links to the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal application and Computer Based Training (CBT) Modules on the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal section page under “Related Links Outside CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services.” The call in information for the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal Town Hall teleconference is:
- Call in time: 1pm to 3pm
- Call In Line: 1-800-603-1774
- Conference ID: 29840615
PMSI was invited to participate in the pilot, along with select other submitters, and we have successfully submitted multiple claims via the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal. Implementation of the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal should improve the overall process by reducing turnaround times and the general delays experienced with the manual submission method. Users will be able to electronically submit the case as well as check the status and location of files. Receipt of the Case Control Number (CCNCase Control Number
Number assigned to a file when submitted to CMS for review) will be immediate and all correspondence for cases submitted through the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal will be accessed through the portal rather than U.S. mail.
A couple of notable changes to the overall process are:
- The WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal will not accept cases that do not meet the review thresholds (the proposed total settlement amount is required to submit the case)
- When CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services issues a developmental letter requesting additional information, submitters will only have 10 business days to respond prior to the case being closed by CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services
PMSI feels that the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal is an enhancement to the WCMSAWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside submission process. The intent behind the WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal is to provide better access to information pertaining to submitted cases and to allow for an improved experience when submitting MSAsMedicare Set-Asides to CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services. PMSI recommends that any organization or individual who frequently submits WCMSAs consider utilizing the portal.
MSAsMedicare Set-Asides submitted to CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services for review and approval can slow down the settlement process and at times bring it to a screeching halt if CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services issues a developmental letter requesting additional documentation to perform their review. In addition, obtaining the status of an MSAMedicare Set-Aside submitted for review can be a time consuming and frustrating process. As part of their commitment to try to improve efficiencies in the review system, CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced plans to move forward with the development of the Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal (WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal). The new portal, currently in pilot testing, is intended to improve efficiencies and WCMSAWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside review turnaround times. As a result, this will hopefully improve the current delays surrounding settlements that seek CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services approval of MSAsMedicare Set-Asides.
The CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services Workers’ Compensation Agency Services website states that “This secure web portal will greatly improve the efficiency of the submission process for WCMSAs, including receipt of the proposal by its Workers’ Compensation Review Contractor (WCRCWorkers’ Compensation Review Contractor).”
The WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal will allow attorneys, beneficiaries, claimants, insurance carriers, representative payees, and WCMSAWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside vendors to:
- Create a work-in-progress case
- Submit WCMSAWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside cases
- Perform case lookups
- Append documentation to a case
The WCMSAPWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal will allow submitters of WCMSAs to directly enter case information, upload documentation, and receive case status information through the use of a secure web portal. Continue reading 'CMSCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services Pilots WCMSAWorkers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal'»
Comments (0) 
Themocracy