Notice: This CMS-approved document has been submitted - Philips ...

CMS-1403-FC
having first made reasonable efforts to procure the
signature of the beneficiary or an authorized individual,
we address our core concerns. It is true that, as
clarified, our regulations allow providers and suppliers to
procure the signature of an authorized individual in a
situation where the beneficiary may be only temporarily
unable to sign the claim, but, on balance, we believe it is
preferable, for the sake of convenience, to give providers
and suppliers some flexibility as to whether they obtain
the signature of the beneficiary or that of an authorized
individual. With respect to ambulance providers and
suppliers, the matter of making reasonable efforts to
locate and obtain the signature of the beneficiary or
another authorized individual should largely be moot.
Ambulance providers and suppliers should be able to rely on
the exception at §424.36(b)(6) to sign the claim in the
case of both emergency and nonemergency transports,
provided they meet the documentation requirements therein.
To the extent that ambulance providers and suppliers do not
wish to, or are unable to, comply with the documentation
requirements of §424.36(b)(6), they may obtain the
signature of an authorized individual specified at
§424.36(b)(1) through (b)(4) (including in the situation
where one of the authorized individuals is available and
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