The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") published a 65-page instruction transmittal (Change Request 3159, Transmittal 69) on March 26, 2004, which instructs fiscal intermediaries and carriers on requirements for reviewing the CMS-855 forms (go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/manuals/pm_trans/R69PI.pdf). A provider education article will be published shortly and posted to Medlearn Matters (go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/matters). The Transmittal covers requirements for training staff, for verification and validation of information in the application, for cross-checks to determine exclusion, for processing timelines; for maintaining a website; and for enrolling managed care organizations. It is important to note that a provider can no longer communicate certain changes by letterhead; the provider must use the appropriate 855 form to report additions, deletions, or changes under the same tax identification number. It is useful to note that contractors are required to process 90 percent of the applications requesting a change of information within 45 calendar days or sooner and 99 percent within 60 days. For change of ownership, the timeline is 60 days and 120 days. Nevertheless, "[t]imeliness expectations are not paramount over development and detecting fraud or abuse."
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