In servicing beneficiaries that have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina, suppliers are facing dilemmas regarding beneficiaries that have relocated from affected areas and are now contacting new suppliers for their supplies and/or durable medical equipment. Not only do the new physicians and suppliers not know these beneficiaries, but they cannot get in touch with the original suppliers and physicians to obtain such information as certificates of medical necessity (CMNs), detailed written orders, etc.

Suppliers are reminded to exhaust all avenues to obtain medical documentation as outlined by the local coverage determination of the item being billed. If required documentation cannot be obtained, suppliers can dispense the item(s), submit a claim for the item, and obtain the necessary documentation at a later date. Please note that this procedure should ONLY be followed when servicing beneficiaries that have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Suppliers should submit these claims hardcopy, and should indicate at the top of the claim in bold letters, "Disaster Claim" and include a statement regarding the nature of the disaster, i.e., "Hurricane Katrina".