CMS Announces Accelerated and Advance Payments for Hurricane Helene Relief
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that accelerated and advanced payments are available to the Medicare fee-for-service providers and suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene. This is on the grounds of an emergency declaration created by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with the FEMA to assist healthcare facilities overcome financial constraints in FEMA-declared disaster zones caused by the declarations made by the President.
Providers and suppliers are facing a huge cash flow challenge because of the disruption resulting from the hurricane. Under this policy, providers of Medicare Part A and suppliers of Part B can receive accelerated or advanced payment as early as October 2, 2024. The sum issued would depend on the percentage of claims payments covered in the previous 90 days. This process of repayment will automatically occur through Medicare claims for the next 90 days and the balance shall be demanded after day 91.
These benefits will be made only to enrolled Medicare providers and suppliers that satisfy certain conditions. They must have filed at least one claim successfully within the preceding 90 days of the date of the incident and be classified as in good standing with Medicare.
Moreover, CMS provides the flexibility of extending the currently available ERS. Those providers who have a 60-month maximum term for ERS are allowed to adjust their payment, but those providers who have shorter terms of ERS can extend their scheduled terms by two months.
Providers and suppliers may also ask that demand letters from overpayment be rescinded and reissued in case the mailing service is interrupted causing difficulties in receiving such notifications.
For additional help, you can contact a Medicare provider’s assigned Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). More information can be found on the CMS website.
You can find a list of Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) at the CMS.gov website at: https://www.cms.gov/mac-info.