Action Plan - Electronic Funds Transfer

This communication should be read by ALL practices located in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. 
Practices located in states not listed are not affected by this change in fiscal intermediary. 

This will cover topics that will impact a large segment of providers listed in the states above:

  • Electronic Funds Transfer

  • Miscellaneous Impacts

  • Resources: List of phone numbers and links to forms, etc.

Electronic Funds Transfer

IF you currently receive your Medicare payments via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), you MUST take action and complete a new EFT Agreement form CMS-588.  If you fail to complete this form and process with Novitas, at cutover on November 19 (Part B) your payments will be held.  

What is confusing is if you do not currently receive your payments via EFT.  I have heard some feedback that Novitas requires EFT payments. I do not see that in their literature and reading their announcement on this subject it states as follows:

If you are currently enrolled for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) with Pinnacle Business Solutions, Inc. (PBSI), Cahaba Government Benefits Administrators (Cahaba) or TrailBlazer Health Enterprises (TrailBlazer), be on the lookout for a letter from Novitas Solutions, Inc. (Novitas) requesting a CMS-588 EFT Authorization Agreement (Agreement). Please read this letter carefully for instructions for completing and returning the Agreement. Novitas is required to obtain a new Agreement in conjunction with the MAC JH transition to continue issuing EFT payments post-cutover. Failure to complete and submit the Agreement may result in a delay or interruption of your Medicare payments.

All affected providers/suppliers should expect to receive their EFT Agreement request letter from Novitas on or around the following dates:

Link to source - https://www.novitas-solutions.com/transition/jh/info-alerts.html

The key word in the communication is “currently”.  If you have questions on whether this applies to your practice call 855-252-8782.

Miscellaneous Impacts

There are other less subtle impacts for your practice that you should be aware of:

  • The address in which claims are sent will change.  We will include that information in the next segment.

  • If you use the TrailBlazer IVR system, the phone number will change.  A list of numbers will be in the “Other Resources” section of this communication

  • You will receive 2, 1099 forms in 2013- one from TrailBlazer and one from Novitas.

  • LCD’s might change.  Link: https://www.novitas-solutions.com/transition/jh/lcd-policy/lcd-index.html 

Resources

Phone numbers:

A/B

Department / Specialty Area

J12 Telephone Numbers

JH Telephone Numbers

Fax Number

A & B

Provider Inquiries 1

1-877-235-8073

1-855-252-8782

A & B

Provider IVR (Interactive Voice Response)
(Claims and Eligibility Information) 2

1-877-235-8073
Options 1, 2 or 5

1-855-252-8782
Options 1, 2 or 5

A & B

EDI Helpdesk 1

1-877-235-8073
Option 3

1-855-252-8782
Option 3

1-877-439-5479

A & B

Provider Enrollment 1

1-877-235-8073
Option 4

1-855-252-8782
Option 4

A & B

Provider Teletypewriter (TTY) 3

1-877-235-8051

1- 855-498-2447

B

Telephone Reopenings/Claim Corrections4

1-877-235-8073
Option 1, then Option 2

1-855-252-8782
Option 1, then Option 2

B

Submitting Documentation Prior to EMC Claims via Fax 5

1-877-439-5479

Transition Web Site: https://www.novitas-solutions.com/transition/jh/index.html

CMS-588 EFT Form http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS588.pdf

Frequently asked questions: https://www.novitas-solutions.com/transition/jh/faq.html

Join List Serve: https://www.novitas-solutions.com/transition/jh/lists.html

If you have any questions regarding this information please e-mail us at helpdesk@mdsco.com.

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