A B MAC

Updates on Pharmacies billing drugs to Medicare Part B

Effective October 1, 2011 Pharmacies may bill Medicare Part B for certain classes of drugs, including immunosuppressive drugs, oral anti-emetic drugs, oral anti-cancer drugs, and drugs self-administered through any piece of durable medical equipment.

Claims for these drugs are generally submitted to the Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor (DME MAC). The carrier or A/B MAC will reject these claims as they need to be sent to the DME MAC.

In the rare situation where a pharmacy dispenses a drug that will be administered through implanted DME and a physician’s service will not be utilized to fill the pump with the drug, the claim is submitted to the A/B MAC or carrier.

The DME MAC, A/B MAC, or carrier will make payment to the pharmacy for these drugs, when deemed to be covered and reasonable and necessary. All bills submitted to the DME MAC, A/B MAC, or carrier must be submitted on an assigned basis by the pharmacy.

When drugs may not be billed by pharmacies to Medicare Part B

Pharmacies, suppliers and providers may not bill Medicare Part B for drugs dispensed directly to a beneficiary for administration “incident to” a physician service, such as refilling an implanted drug pump. These claims will be denied.

Pharmacies may not bill Medicare Part B for drugs furnished to a physician for administration to a Medicare beneficiary. When these drugs are administered in the physician’s office to a beneficiary, the only way these drugs can be billed to Medicare is if the physician purchases the drugs from the pharmacy. In this case, the drugs are being administered “incident to” a physician’s service and pharmacies may not bill Medicare Part B under the “incident to” provision.

Payment limits

The payment limits for drugs and biologicals that are not included in the average sales price (ASP) Medicare Part B Drug Pricing File or Not Otherwise Classified (NOC) Pricing File are based on the published Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) or invoice pricing, except under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) where the payment allowance limit is 95 percent of the published average wholesale price (AWP).

In determining the payment limit based on WAC, the payment limit is 106 percent of the lesser of the lowest-priced brand or median generic WAC.

Medicare contractors will not search their files to either retract payment for claims already paid or to retroactively pay claims, but will adjust claims brought to their attention.

Reference:http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM7397.pdf

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