Hurricane’s Harvey, Irma and Maria Medicare Provider Enrollment Relief
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Information as of September 2017
What is CMS doing to support Hurricane Harvey/Irma/Maria emergency recovery?
CMS is exercising its waiver authority to allow suppliers or other practitioners who are not currently enrolled to initiate temporary billing privileges and suspend certain Medicare enrollment screening requirements for healthcare and suppliers or other practitioners that are assisting with Hurricane Harvey/Irma/Maria recovery efforts in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. CMS has established a hotline to assist these healthcare suppliers and other practitioners in order to enroll in federal health programs and receive temporary Medicare billing privileges. This hotline is not intended for use by Part A certified or Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers.
What is the Hurricane Harvey/Irma/Maria Medicare Provider Enrollment Application Hotline?
CMS established a toll-free hotline servicing Medicare’s Part B providers and suppliers in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The hotline is intended for non-certified Part B suppliers and other practitioners to initiate provisional temporary Medicare billing privileges.
The hotline number is available for use by non-certified Part B suppliers and other practitioners servicing Medicare beneficiaries in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Through the hotline you will be able to:
- Initiate temporary billing privileges as a new supplier or other practitioner in Medicare.
- Add a temporary practice location as an existing supplier or other practitioner in Medicare.
- Add a temporary reassignment relationship as an existing supplier or other practitioner in Medicare.
What is the hotline number and hours of operation?
The toll free Hotline Telephone Number: 1-855-247-8428
Hours of Operation: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
This hotline number is used for all impacted areas
What information should I have available when I call the hotline?
To initiate temporary billing privileges, you will be asked to provide limited information, including, but not limited to, Legal Name, National Provider Identifier (NPI), Tax Identification Number (Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number), a valid in-state or out of-state licensure, address information and contact information (email address and telephone number).
How long will it take to approve my temporary Medicare billing privileges?
The Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) will attempt to screen and enroll the supplier or other practitioner over the phone and will notify the provider of their approval or rejection
of temporary Medicare billing privileges during the phone conversation. To assist in this effort, CMS is waiving the following enrollment requirements:
- Payment of the application fee
- Fingerprint based criminal background checks
- Site visits
- In-state licensure requirements
I am a licensed physician or other practitioner but not in the state of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. I will be traveling to one of these areas to provide services to those in need. Do I need to obtain a new license?
No. CMS is waving the licensure requirements. A physician or other practitioner must be licensed in at least one state in which he/she furnishes services, but is not required to be licensed in the state where assistance is being provided.
What will be the effective date of my temporary Medicare billing privileges?
Providers will be assigned a retroactive effective date that is based on the date of the telephone call but no earlier than the declared disaster effective dates (Aug. 25, 2017, for Texas; Aug. 28, 2017, for Louisiana; Sept. 10, 2017, for Florida and Puerto Rico; Sept. 7, 2017, for the U.S. Virgin Islands).
I am located in a declared disaster area and am due to revalidate. Will my due date be extended?
CMS is temporarily ceasing revalidation efforts for Medicare providers or suppliers located in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and other areas directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey/Irma/Maria. Upon the lifting of the Emergency Disaster Declaration, CMS will resume revalidation activities.
I am a Medicare enrolled supplier or other practitioner but will be providing services from a temporary location due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey/Irma/Maria. Do I need to report my temporary location to my Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)?
CMS is waiving the practice location reporting requirements and will not take administrative actions with respect to suppliers or other practitioners who fail to provide notification of their
temporary practice location. This temporary process will remain in effect from the declared disaster effective dates (Aug. 25, 2017, for Texas; Aug. 28, 2017, for Louisiana; Sept. 10, 2017,
for Florida and Puerto Rico; Sept. 7, 2017, for the U.S. Virgin Islands) until the disaster designation is lifted. If the temporary location is still being utilized until the previous location is re-established, it must be reported via the appropriate CMS-855 enrollment application, as required to comply with the enrollment requirements.
How does Hurricane Harvey impact the temporary enrollment moratoria on Part B non emergency ambulance suppliers in Texas?
CMS has authority under 42 C.F.R. § 424.570(d) to lift a temporary moratorium at any time if the President declares an area a disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. As a result of the President’s declaration in the state of Texas on August 25, 2017, CMS has carefully reviewed the potential impact of continued moratorium in Texas and is lifting the temporary enrollment moratoria on Part B non-emergency ambulance suppliers in Texas in order to aid in the disaster response. This lifting applies to Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and became effective on September 1, 2017. CMS will also publish a document in the Federal Register to announce that the moratoria on Part B non-emergency ambulance suppliers has been lifted. Providers and suppliers that were unable to enroll because of the moratorium will be designated to CMS’ high screening level under 42 CFR § 424.518(c)(3)(iii) to the extent these providers and suppliers enroll in Medicare in the future.
How long will the hotline be operational?
The hotline will cease providing Medicare temporary billing privileges over the phone on the date the disaster designation is lifted.
Will my temporary Medicare billing privileges be deactivated?
Your Medicare billing privileges are being granted on a provisional basis as a result of the disaster designations and are temporary. Upon the lifting of the Emergency Disaster Declaration, you will be asked to submit a complete CMS-855 enrollment application in order to establish full Medicare billing privileges, following the Medicare Administrative Contractor’s (MAC’s) review of your application. Failure to respond to the MAC’s request within 30 days of the notification, will result in the deactivation of your temporary billing privileges.
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