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Responding to the Impending Realignment of Medicare Administrative Contractors

In accordance with the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is restructuring the administration of the fee-for-service Medicare program. The new system replaces multiple local fiscal intermediaries (Part A) and carriers (Part B) with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) chosen through bidding and open competition. Central to the reform is the creation of 15 new MAC-administered jurisdictions that CMS expects to be fully operational by October 2009.

CMS expects that the MACs will focus on three areas: customer service, operations, and financial management. To fulfill contractual obligations, MACs will be required to have staff . . . [Click for More]