Preparing for an FI/Carrier to MAC Transition  

Central to the contracting reform plan in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was to obtain competitively procured contracts that conform to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Fifteen new Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), processing both Part A and B claims, will handle about the same volume of work in mostly geographically contiguous parts of the US resulting in greater consistency in interpreting Medicare policies. in addition, the they will serve as the central agency through which subsidiary contractors provide additional services.

While the transition from Carriers and Fiscal Intermediaries to Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) began in March 2007, recently the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a guide for Medicare providers on how to prepare for a switch to a  MAC. MACs commence their work on a cutover date, often ta...