ALL ORDES REQUIRED TO CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Documentation Requirements:
Section 1833(e) of the Social Security Act precludes payment to any provider of services unless “there has been furnished such information as may be necessary in order to determine the amounts due such provider.” It is expected that the beneficiary’s medical records will reflect the need for the care provided. The beneficiary’s medical records include the physician’s office records, hospital records, nursing home records, home health agency records, records from other healthcare professionals and test reports. This documentation must be available upon request.     

II. Prescription (Order) Requirements 

PIM 5.2.1: General
All items billed to Medicare require a prescription. An order for each item billed must be signed and dated by the treating physician, kept on file by the supplier, and made available upon request. Items dispensed and/or billed that do not meet these prescription requirements and those below must be submitted with an EY modifier added to each affected HCPCS code.

PIM 5.2.2: Dispensing Orders
Equipment and supplies may be delivered upon receipt of a dispensing order except for those items that require a written order prior to delivery. A dispensing order may be verbal or written. The supplier must keep a record of the dispensing order on file. It must contain:

• Description of the item
• Beneficiary’s name
• Prescribing Physician’s name
• Date of the order and the start date, if the start date is different from the date of the order
• Physician signature (if a written order) or supplier signature (if verbal order)

For the “Date of the order” described above, use the date the supplier is contacted by the physician (for verbal orders) or the date entered by the physician (for written dispensing orders). Signature and date stamps are not allowed. Signatures must comply with the CMS signature requirements outlined in PIM 3.3.2.4. The dispensing order must be available upon request.

PIM 5.2.3: Detailed Written Orders
For items that are provided based on a dispensing order, the supplier must obtain a detailed written order before submitting a claim.  A detailed written order (DWO) is required before billing. Someone other than the ordering physician may produce the DWO. However, the ordering physician must review the content and sign and date the document. It must contain:

• Beneficiary’s name
• Physician’s name
• Date of the order and the start date, if start date is different from the date of the order
• Detailed description of the item(s) (see below for specific requirements for selected items)
• Physician signature and signature dateFor items provided on a periodic basis, including drugs, the written order must include:

• Item(s) to be dispensed
• Dosage or concentration, if applicable
• Route of Administration
• Frequency of use
• Duration of infusion, if applicable
• Quantity to be dispensed
• Number of refills

For the “Date of the order” described above, use the date the supplier is contacted by the physician (for verbal orders) or the date entered by the physician (for written dispensing orders).

Frequency of use information on orders must contain detailed instructions for use and specific amounts to be dispensed. Reimbursement shall be based on the specific utilization amount only. Orders that only state “PRN” or “as needed” utilization estimates for replacement frequency, use, or consumption are not acceptable. (PIM 5.9)

The detailed description in the written order may be either a narrative description or a brand name/model number.

Signature and date stamps are not allowed. Signatures must comply with the CMS signature requirements outlined in PIM 3.3.2.4.

The DWO must be available upon request.

A prescription is not considered as part of the medical record. Medical information intended to demonstrate compliance with coverage criteria may be included on the prescription but must be corroborated by information contained in the medical record.