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CMS-1403-FC
days when a Presidentially-declared disaster under the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act, 42 U.S.C. §§5121-5206 (Stafford Act)) so the
physician, NPP or physician or NPP organization has
sufficient time to submit their enrollment application.
Comment: One commenter stated that they believe that
it is unreasonable to expect physicians to furnish care to
their patients without the ability to be paid for their
services until they are officially enrolled in the Medicare
program.
Response: While we agree that physicians should be
reimbursed for the services furnished to Medicare
beneficiaries, we also believe that physicians, NPPs and
physician and NPP organizations are responsible for
enrolling or making a change in their enrollment in a
timely manner. In most cases, we believe that physicians
and NPP practitioners can submit an enrollment application
prior to providing Medicare services at a new practice
location.
Comment: One commenter stated that in emergency room
situations these enrollment scenarios will not work and
gives the example using the second approach of when an
emergency department is in desperate need of a provider.
The department is able to obtain a physician almost
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