Riverbend

Existing Providers

Change of Information

It is vital that the information Medicare maintains on your facility is accurate and current. As an existing Medicare Part A provider, you are required to report any changes to your enrollment information within 90 days of the change via a CMS Form 855A. Failure to report the change on a timely basis may result in the suspension of your Medicare payments pending receipt of a CMS 855A application.

Existing providers are now required to submit a copy of the notification letter they received from the NPI enumerator along with the enrollment application. Also, if your facility is not currently receiving Medicare payments via an electronic funds transfer, you will be required to complete an Electronic Funds Transfer Agreement (CMS Form 588) and submit it along with the enrollment application to report your changes. Failure to provide both the NPI and EFT information will delay the processing of your application.

If your facility has been enrolled in the Medicare program for many years, we may not have a complete CMS 855A on file. If Riverbend does not have a complete application on file, you will need to submit the full CMS Form 855A when you report your change of information. If you are unsure as to whether or not you need to submit the entire form, please contact your Provider Enrollment representative (insert link to Provider Enrollment contacts info).

CMS requires Riverbend to process applications for changes of information within 45 days. Full applications are allowed a 60-day processing time. Please notify us of changes to your banking information (EFT) or to the address that receives your Medicare payments as soon as possible in order to avoid a disruption in receiving your Medicare payments.

Change of Ownership

Medicare must be notified when the ownership of a certified Medicare Part A provider changes. In general, a change of ownership occurs when the ownership of a facility changes from one legal entity to another. For more specifics on what constitutes a change of ownership for Medicare purposes, please review 42 CFR 489.18.

Medicare will recognize a transaction as a change of ownership if the buyer agrees to accept all Medicare liabilities associated with the existing provider agreement. If the buyer does not agree to accept the liabilities, then it is not a change of ownership. The existing owner would submit an 855A to terminate their provider agreement and the new owner must submit an initial enrollment application. If the buyer accepts the existing Provider agreement and liabilities, both the existing owner and the new owner must submit enrollment applications. There will be no lapse in Medicare certification or payments.

You may submit change of ownership applications to Riverbend up to 30 days prior to the date of sale. A draft copy of the sales agreement should be submitted with the application; however, the application cannot be recommended for approval until a final, executed agreement is received. All changes of ownership must be reported to Riverbend within 30 calendar days of the sale or transfer.

Terminations

If your facility is closing or you wish to discontinue your participation as a Medicare Part A provider, you will need to notify Medicare via the CMS Form 855A. You will also need to contact your State Agency in order to determine what their requirements are prior to contacting Medicare when terminating a number (i.e., notice of the termination in the local newspaper for 3 days prior to termination).