The Center Connects Members to CGS’ Medicare Billing Committee

Since his appointment in January to the Cigna Government Services (CGS) Provider Outreach and Education (POE) Advisory Committee, Bob Kaliszewski, project manager at The Center for Health Affairs has served as a conduit between hospital billing representatives and the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). The group, which meets quarterly, is a Medicare billing committee charged with addressing healthcare provider questions and concerns with CGS, the MAC for Ohio and Kentucky Part A and B services. The committee is led by three senior provider relations representatives from CGS.

“The committee is a terrific forum that allows providers to bring concerns to senior provider representatives,” explained Kaliszewski. “They’ve been really responsive. They’ve also done a great job identifying areas that might present challenges for hospitals and making sure they know how to avoid them.”

The roughly 50-member Medicare billing committee focuses on Medicare patient billing issues and is intended to assist CGS in developing strategies to educate providers about Medicare requirements. Members of the committee share ideas and feedback on a variety of topics, which in 2016 have included:

• Hospital billing requirements for self-administered drugs
• Value-based programs and quality reporting for SNFs
• Comprehensive error rate testing documentation
• Sequestration reduction
• Partial hospitalization program weekly requirements

The Center’s participation in the Medicare billing committee allows member hospitals an avenue for bringing the questions and concerns of its patient billing professionals to the Medicare Administrative Contractor through Kaliszewski.

“It’s a good exchange of information and I’m happy to take any feedback from our membership and deliver it to the committee,” said Kaliszewski. “The reps are forthcoming and are very conscientious about getting answers to questions.”

For more information or to submit questions or concerns to the CGS Medicare billing committee, contact Bob Kaliszewski at 216.255.3652 or via email, or George Jeney, project manager, at 216.255.3666 or via email.