In a joint call to physicians across the country, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) are urging doctors to enroll or update their record in the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
This week NACDS and NCPA faxed an urgent plea to more than 62,000 doctors’ offices, asking them to enroll or update their enrollment in PECOS to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can continue receiving diabetes testing supplies and other essential Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) from local pharmacies. According to CMS, there are 26,000 pending PECOS enrollment applications for physicians and a few thousand more for non-physician providers.
“Community pharmacists support appropriate efforts to ensure that Medicare dollars are spent wisely, but beneficiaries’ access to local pharmacies for their legitimate health care needs must be protected,” Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE and NACDS president and chief executive officer and Douglas Hoey, RPh, NCPA acting executive vice president and chief executive officer, stated in a press release. “We commend CMS for striking the right balance by not implementing changes that would automatically reject claims based on orders, certifications, and referrals made by providers who have not had their applications approved by July 6, 2010. Community pharmacists report that as many as 30% of DMEPOS claims are being rejected. That’s a clear warning sign supporting CMS’ delay of the July 6th PECOS date. We urge all doctors to enroll or update their record in PECOS now to ensure their patients can continue to have uninterrupted access to essential medical products at their local pharmacies.”
