Reimbursement: Know These 5 Important Dates to Keep Medicare Pay on Target

Why This Topic Matters

Missing these dates or updates could affect Medicare reporting, billing readiness, administrative compliance, and payment operations. The article helps organizations identify which CMS-driven changes required preparation across coding, reporting, forms, and systems.

Article Sections

1. QPP 2017 Transition Hardship Deadline

   Discusses a Medicare quality reporting hardship application deadline tied to the 2017 transition year and CMS circumstances affecting reporting. Covers the related QPP and MIPS context and the timing of the submission window.

2. QPP 2018 Virtual Groups

   Reviews the virtual group participation option for small practices under the quality reporting program. Describes the election timing and the general information required for participation.

3. CPT® Code Options and Revaluations

   Summarizes annual Medicare payment update timing, including CPT code changes, physician fee schedule updates, and conversion factor adjustments for the new year.

4. New CMS-855 Form Requirement for Provider EFTs

   Covers changes to the provider electronic funds transfer authorization form and the date it became required. Includes the administrative focus of the revised form for provider and supplier EFT information.

5. Medicare Card and Number Transition

   Explains the rollout of the new Medicare beneficiary number transition and related system readiness considerations. Discusses the broader operational impact on patient identifiers, claims processing, and transition timing.