Medicare signature requirements for patients.

Navigate the intricacies of Medicare signature requirements to ensure seamless patient care. Understand the vital role signatures play in health records and claims processing.

Understanding Medicare signature requirements.

In the medical field, a healthcare provider’s signature is necessary to keep patient care flowing and prevent delays. These signatures signify knowledge, approval, acceptance, or obligation on the provider’s behalf and are incredibly important when it comes to insurance claims like Medicare.

Let’s dive into signature requirements so you can keep the paperwork moving smoothly and be confident that your electronic signature is legally binding and valid.

How does Medicare define a signature?

In order to review and process claims, Medicare requires providers to authenticate that the services provided or ordered in a patient’s health records are accurate and necessary for care. To authenticate, a provider will need to supply their signature and the date of care.

A Medicare signature:

• Can be a handwritten or electronic signature
• Cannot be a stamp
• Must be legible

What if my Medicare signature is not legible?

If a Medicare reviewer finds your signature illegible, they will cross-reference your name with a signature log. This log is a collection of typed provider names alongside their signature and credentials. Reviewers will use this to ensure signature identity.

While not required, you can set up a signature log with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at any time in order to avoid potential signature discrepancies and help protect your identity.

You can also send a letter to the CMS along with your patient’s documentation to attest your signature. In other cases, a reviewer may contact you and request a written attestation, in which case you typically have 20 days to provide the requested information so they can continue to process your claim.

Are Medicare electronic signature requirements different?

Electronic signatures are considered valid when submitting documents to Medicare. However, for them to be accepted, they need to meet specific electronic signature requirements for Medicare that are potentially different from traditional handwritten or wet signatures. These signatures must always:

• Contain date and timestamps
• Include printed statements such as “electronically signed by”
• Include the practitioner’s name and designation clearly printed
• Be generated by software that allows for sole usage

Are there exceptions to Medicare signature requirements?

The electronic signature requirements for Medicare are fairly straightforward and rigid in order to ensure authenticity. When it comes to complying with Medicare signature requirements, however, there are a few exceptions to keep in mind:

• Copies, rather than originals, are permissible regarding certification of terminal illness for hospice.

• Some orders, such as clinical diagnostic tests, do not require a signature.

• Rubber stamping can be used in lieu of electronic signatures if disability prohibits their ability to sign.

Make complying with Medicare signature requirements easy.

Keep the flow of patient care moving. Discover what more you can do with Adobe Acrobat to simplify documentation processes of all kinds.