NGS Begins Anti-Fraud Card Swipe Pilot

INDIANAPOLIS — CMS and NGS, the Jurisdiction B DME MAC,
are looking for Indianapolis area physicians and DME suppliers to
participate in a pilot program to “fight fraud and ensure Medicare
dollars are used appropriately.”

The objective of the voluntary program, which will focus on
physicians and suppliers with Marion County ZIP codes, is to reduce
inappropriate DMEPOS payments by tracking the items ordered. By
verifying that a legitimate physician wrote an order for DME and
that it was dispensed by a legitimate supplier, the DME MAC said,
“certain types of fraud and abuse can be eliminated from the
program.”

The project stems from the Affordable Care Act, “which requires
that physicians and suppliers keep and provide upon request,
documentation related to the ordering and/or referring of DMEPOS,”
according to a post on the NGS website.

Here’s how the program will work, the post explains:

“By using your existing credit card terminals and networks, and
a designated magnetic swipe card, we’ll capture and track DMEPOS
orders. We will use the data we get to validate which DMEPOS orders
were appropriately initiated in your office and then filled
accordingly by the DMEPOS supplier.

“You will receive free magnetic swipe cards in the mail that can
be read by your existing credit card terminals. Whether you’re a
provider placing an order or a supplier filling an order, the
process is the same. You will swipe the card and enter a code into
the credit card terminal. CastleStone Advisors, who have access to
the credit card network, will receive the information that the
cards capture and then send it to National Government
Services.”

NGS noted that data captured by the cards would not include any
protected information about the beneficiary or the business, such
as an NPI. In fact, the pilot should help to protect
provider-specific information such as an NPI from misuse or
identity theft, the DME MAC said.

For more information, access the DMEPilot.NGSMedicare.com portal.