Before submitting records to Medicare, you must make sure that the document is signed. The signature must be handwritten or electronic. There are many variations of handwritten and electronic signatures available to providers. A claim without a signature will surely be denied for payment.
Did you know an illegible signature or provider’s initials are permitted? The signature or initials must be directly above a typed or printed name. A signature log that matches the signature on the documentation can also be submitted with medical records.
If there is no signature or the signature is illegible, there is still another option. A signature attestation can also be used if the attestation statement is signed and dated by the author of the medical record entry and contains sufficient information to identify the beneficiary.
Reminder: If the document is not signed, It’s not complete.
For full guidelines, exceptions and examples of acceptable signatures please see the following references.
References:
- Medicare Program Integrity Manual, Publication 100-8, Chapter 3 – Verifying Potential Errors and Taking Corrective Actions, Subsection 3.3.2.4 – Signature Requirements
- Medicare Learning Network, MLN Matters: MM6698
- MedicareNews@novitas-solutions.com
