MLN Matters Number: MM5901                                            Related Change Request (CR) #: 5901
Related CR Release Date: March 7, 2008                                 Effective Date: August 15, 2008
Related CR Transmittal #: R325OTN                                       Implementation Date: April 7, 2008

New Contractor Numbers for the States of California, Nevada, Hawaii Including American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianna Islands -Jurisdiction 1 Part A Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Workload

Provider Types Affected
Providers in the States of California, Nevada, and Hawaii, as well as in the American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Marianna Islands the Jurisdiction 1 Part A/B Medicare Administrative Contractors (A/B MAC)) for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries. This also affects providers billing the National Government Services (NGS) regional home health intermediary (RHHI).

Provider Action Needed
This article is based on Change Request (CR) 5901 which changes the contractor numbers for the States of California, Nevada, and Hawaii, as well as American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianna Islands Jurisdiction 1 Part A Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Workload.

Background
Change Request (CR) 5901 notifies all interested parties that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) needs to change the contractor numbers in the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Jurisdiction 1 (J1) states of California, Nevada, Hawaii, and in American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianna Islands when those states become live in J1. This change needs to be made because certain applications require separate contractor numbers for each state.

Claims for the states of California, Nevada, Hawaii and American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Marianna Islands will be processed by the J1 MAC using the contractor numbers and effective dates listed below.

Also, CMS has decided to create a separate contractor workload number for the NGS RHHI workload and separate the NGS (RHHI) and Part A workloads. This RHHI workload will be transitioning in the future to a MAC jurisdiction.

Note: Wisconsin Physicians Services Ins. Corp. Medicare providers (formerly Mutual of Omaha) will continue to do business with Wisconsin Physicians Services Ins. Corp.

The following table reflects the change in numbers:

Additional Information
The official instruction, CR 5901, issued to your Medicare FI, RHHI, and A/B MAC regarding this change may be viewed at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Transmittals/downloads/R325OTN.pdf on the CMS Web site.

If you have any questions, please contact your Medicare FI, RHHI, or A/B MAC at their toll-free number, which may be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/CallCenterTollNumDirectory.zip on the CMS Web site.

Disclaimer This article was prepared as a service to the public and is not intended to grant rights or impose obligations. This article may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. The information provided is only intended to be a general summary. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. We encourage readers to review the specific statutes, regulations and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their contents.

News Flash -Test Your Medicare Claims Now! After you have submitted claims containing both National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) and legacy identifiers and those claims have been paid, Medicare urges you to send a small batch of claims now with only the NPI in the primary provider fields. If the results are positive, begin increasing the number of claims in the batch. (Reminder: For institutional claims, the primary provider fields are the Billing and Pay-to Provider fields. For professional claims, the primary provider fields are the Billing, Pay-to, and Rendering Provider fields. If the Pay-to Provider is the same as the Billing Provider, the Pay-to Provider does not need to be identified.)
News Flash - It’s Not Too Late to Give and Get the Flu Shot! In the U.S., the peak of flu season typically occurs anywhere from late December through March; however, flu season can last as late as May. Each office visit presents an opportunity for you to talk with your patients about the importance of getting an annual flu shot and a one time pneumococcal vaccination. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family and friends by getting and giving the flu shot. Don’t Get the Flu. Don’t Give the Flu. Get Vaccinated! Remember - Influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations and their administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are NOT Part D covered drugs. You and your staff can learn more about Medicare’s coverage of adult immunizations and related provider education resources, by reviewing Special Edition MLN Matters article SE0748 at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0748.pdf on the CMS Web site.

Posted: 03/31/2008