Home Forums Discussions General Discussion UpDox & DME

I didn't find this in the forum, though I'm sure it's there.

I'm using UpDox. I sent an order back to Liberty Medical. They will not accept it because the date was not HANDWRITTEN. They did not ask about my signature (which is simply a jpg). Are you finding this to be true with many of the DME companies? Am I really going to have to print out these faxes and fill them out by hand? Is there any documentation anywhere that anyone is aware of that I can show them from Medicare that this is not so?

Thanks,

Barbara

The first time this happened, it was from a medical supply company. I typed the date in (rather than using the date stamp).
The second time, I sent a reply telling them to mail me the form with a stamped, self-addressed envelope and I would sign, date and return it. They did not respond and there has not been a third time.

I am having the same issue. I have looked in all the CMS documentation that exists and nowhere can I find anything that says a date must be hand written. There is plenty of documentation that says electronic signatures are acceptable. Tell me why there would be a rule that accepts electronic signature but requires a handwritten date. It is ridiculous. I have had this problem with only one oxygen company and I am no longer doing business with them. I have asked them to produce the CMS regulation and they have not been able to. I like the idea about the SASE. I think I will try that. They can also send a courier and drop it off.

By the way, these tend to be sent to me well after the service has been provided (nursing, medical supply, etc.). At that point, I am not worried about the patient getting what they need, it is just about the supplier getting paid. While I want the company to get what they deserve, I don't lose too much sleep if they create an absurd hurdle and then cannot jump over it.

I'm not supporting Liberty's request for a handwritten date, but its really easy to produce one with the pencil tool in Updox.

I have a standard return fax note that I will send handwritten responses when I get a handwritten form from them.

If you really want to punish them, have staff call the patient and tell them that Liberty or Medco or Caremark is harassing you. Make sure to give the patient the customer service telephone number. They don't want to talk to patients.

The mis-interpretation for HW date stems at least from the DRG attestation days (back when ships were wooden). Got in trouble for using a date stamp. Regs said you couldn't use a signature stamp. Pencil-necks interpreted that to mean date stamps either. Fought it for a long time, but then the attestation went away.
Seems that bad idea never dies.

I went to battle with one medical supply place about a computer stamp and when they found out it was computerized, they said, Oh.. thats OK its just stamps that we cannot take.

Since then I have a standard paragraph that can be on a cover sheet that says (I am not in the office so am paraphrasing)

"We try to be green and paperless. The signature on these pages is computer generated NOT a stamp. As such, it is acceptable to HCFA. If it is not acceptable to you, please send the original and a SASE and I will sign and return them."

Only once has a company sent me a SASE.

Sounds like Wendell's combination of disclaimer AND request for SASE would make this a non-issue!

Way to go, guys!! I have been telling these people for years that I will not print out their faxes using my resources, sign it as "original" and then fax it back. Also, there is a mail order pharmacy in Arizona that I do the same with. I see some definite progress among us.

The updox folks are also very good about talking to these folks if you need them to.

Love this one. What a pencil pushers waste of time.

Only restriction is date may not be stamped. Electronic or typed is not addressed.

(Reference: CMS Manual System, Pub. 100-08, Medicare Program Integrity Manual, Chapter 3, section 3.4.1.1.B).

http://www.cms.gov/transmittals/downloads/R281PI.pdf

5.3.1 ? Completing a CMN or DIF
(Rev.281, Issued: 281, Effective: 02-02-09, Implementation: 02-02-09)
The "Initial Date" found in Section A of the CMN, should be either the specific date that the physician gives as the start of the medical necessity or, if the physician does not give a specific start date, the "Initial Date" would be the date of the order.
The "Signature Date" is the date the physician signed and dated Section D of the CMN. This date might not be the same as the "Initial Date", since the "Signature Date" must indicate when the physician signed Section D of the CMN. Medicare requires a legible identifier for services provided/ordered. The method used shall be handwritten or an electronic signature in accordance with chapter 3, section 3.4.1.1 to sign an order or other medical record documentation for medical review purposes. Signature and date stamps are not acceptable for use on CMNs and DIFs.