CMS Postpones Enforcement of Requisition Signatures Ruling

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced it will delay enforcement of a requirement for provider signatures on laboratory requisitions. Originally scheduled for January 1, 2011, the CMS requirement will take effect at a date to be announced after a CMS educational campaign begins in the first quarter of the New Year.

TriCore is working on requisition modifications to help our clients comply with the new ruling once it becomes effective. In the meantime, clients should continue using their existing requisitions, which do not require a signature. (Clients may begin signing requisitions now in preparation for the change if they wish.) We will announce the effective date of the signature requirement as soon as CMS makes it public; we’ll also provide more details as they become available.