CMS Pub. 100-09, ch. 6, § 20.1

MACs shall establish and maintain partnerships to help disseminate Medicare provider

information through a variety of sources. Partnering entities may be other MACs, medical,

professional or trade groups and associations, government organizations, educational

institutions, trade and professional publications, specialty societies, and other interested or

affected groups. When relevant, MACs shall notify partners of their upcoming provider

education events and activities. Whenever feasible, events and activities shall be coordinated

with other Medicare contractors and entities, including quality improvement organizations

(QIOs), State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), and End Stage Renal Disease

(ESRD) networks, as well as interested groups, organizations, and CMS partners. Partnership

activities shall not take the place of MAC-led POE events but shall supplement them.

MACs shall work with each other to establish and maintain collaborative partnerships to educate

providers on Medicare Program requirements that cross their lines of business (Part A, Part B,

HH+H and DME). The requirements for ordering home health services and DMEPOS are

prime examples of two such collaborative efforts.

MACs shall ensure their outreach and education plans include efforts related to educating

• Physicians about the Medicare requirement when ordering home health services for

people with Medicare and about the specific documentation requirements of those orders

• Physicians and clinicians who are permitted to order DMEPOS about the Medicare

requirement when ordering DMEPOS for people with Medicare and about the specific

documentation requirements of those orders

Partnering efforts may include, but aren’t limited to:

• Including information from partners in newsletters or publications

• Reprinting and distributing (free of charge) provider education materials

• Disseminating provider information or education materials at organization meetings and

functions of partnering entities

• Scheduling presentations or classes for members of partnering entities

• Requesting information for Medicare providers be posted on the websites of partnering

entities

• Helping partnering entities develop their own Medicare provider education and training

material

• Partnering with other MACs to educate providers that may cross MAC jurisdictions

• Collaborating with other MACs to educate ordering or referring providers on such things

as documentation requirements for items or services, such as orders or referrals for tests,

imaging procedures, DMEPOS, and home health services especially when the ordering

or referring provider is in a different MAC jurisdiction than the servicing provider

MACs shall report information about their partnerships with external entities, specifically on

partnerships related to education on items or services with the highest improper payment rate, in

Provider Customer Service Program Customer Information Database (PCID) monthly. See

section 80.3.2.3 of this chapter for more information on reporting requirements.