Care Centers Must Use Revised Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-Coverage by May 2018

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Jonathan Lips

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a newly-revised Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (SNFABN) (CMS-10055), along with updated instructions for completion of the form. The revised SNFABN will be mandatory for use on May 7, 2018. 

The form and instructions are available on the CMS website. 

As of May 7, CMS will also be discontinuing the five Skilled Nursing Facility Denial Letters (CMS-approved form letters, which some care centers have provided to residents in lieu of the SNFABN form) and the Notice of Exclusion from Medicare Benefits - Skilled Nursing Facility (NEMB-SNF).  

As CMS explains: “Since the NEMB-SNF was used as a voluntary notice for care that is never covered by Medicare, we will continue to encourage providers to issue the revised SNFABN in this voluntary capacity.” 

Between now and May 7, care centers may continue to use the old version of the SNFABN, the Denial Letters or the NEMB-SNF. However, CMS recommends that the revised SNFABN be used as soon as possible.