Date Stamps No Longer Accepted: Physicians Must Date Signatures

Date Stamps No Longer Accepted: Physicians Must Date Signatures

Palmetto GBA recently received clarification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in reference to physician signatures with stamped dates.  CMS has clarified that physicians must sign and date hospice certifications, home health plans of care, verbal orders, and certifications.  This changes Palmetto GBA’s long standing policy of accepting a date stamp or facsimile  date as proof of timeliness in lieu of a physician dating his/her signature.  This change is effective for all documents signed on or after January 1, 2011.

Based on the following CMS references failure to meet these requirements may result in full or partial denial of services.

Home Health

• Medicare General Information, Eligibility and Entitlement Manual (Pub. 100-01), Chapter 4, section 30.1 states: “The attending physician signs and dates the POC/certification prior to the claim being submitted for payment.”
• This manual requirement is also addressed in 42CFR 424.22 (D)2 effective 1/1/11, and states:  “The certification of need for home health services must be obtained at the time the plan of care is established or as soon thereafter as possible and must be signed and dated by the physician who establishes the plan.”  The instructions for recertifications are found in this same Part and restates that it “must be signed and dated by the physician who reviews the plan of care.”

Hospice

• Medicare General Information, Eligibility and Entitlement Manual (Pub. 100-01), Chapter 4, section 60 states: “Certification statements must be dated and signed by the physician.”
• This manual requirement is also addressed in 42CFR 418.22 (b)(5) effective 1/1/11 and states: “All certifications and recertifications must be signed and dated by the physician(s).