re: #190 lawhawk

So, to recap, no where is there a 33 page change of address form required, and in most instances you can do so with one page, or go online and do it electronically.

I’ve heard from wingnuts that the 33 page form is for Medicare providers. It seems to be a thinly true claim in that the CMS-855 Medicare Enrollment Form can be used to make changes of address by provider.

Making changes to a physicians medicare provider information can be difficult. Whether it is a change of address, adding an office address or changing other information, there are certain forms that must be filled out and sent to your medicare intermediary. The CMS 855 forms are generally used to apply to be a medicare provider or to make changes. For a new application see this Medicare web site. Any address change, phone or fax number change, name, specialty, contact person or billing agency must be reported to medicare within 30 days of the change. For changes only the section of the CMS 855B you are changing plus section 15 need to be completed and returned.

The CMS 855A form makes the claim that providers can use the PECOS (Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System) on the internet to make changes to their enrollment information. I’m not sure what scope of changes are possible via this method though.

Of course lost in the derp is the fact that Medicare payments to providers can be huge, and that fraud in the system is a real, documented problem. Making sure that crucial information gets cross referenced for a change in where the checks get sent is probably an important way of preventing abuse.