Federal Medicare reporting deadline for insurers
and self-insurers delayed until January 2011

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has delayed the mandatory reporting date of Medicare-eligible workers' compensation claims to Jan. 1, 2011.

Section 111 of the federal Medicare Secondary Payer Act was to become effective April 1, 2010. The Act requires primary payers of claims, including all workers' compensation insurers and self-insurers, to report to Medicare any claim involving a Medicare beneficiary. The CMS delayed the implementation date to allow additional time for testing.

"SFM has been working toward the original deadline, and we already have determined which of our claims are Medicare eligible. We have the system in place to review and determine which past and new Medicare eligible cases need to be reported," said SFM Vice President, Claims, Meg Kasting. SFM also serves as the reporting entity for self-insurers served through its third-party administration subsidiary.

The Act is intended to enable Medicare to identify and request past conditional payments, preclude future conditional payments and protects Medicare's interest in medical settlements involving Medicare-eligible persons.

If you or your SFM clients have questions regarding Section 111 reporting, contact Kasting at (800) 937-1181.

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