Laboratory

Week of June 17, 2013

Question:

Physician signatures often are not legible on orders we receive. How should we handle this in terms of claims submission?

Answer:

If the physician signature is not legible on an order or progress note, providers may submit an attestation statement or a signature log (individual or group) to support his or her identity. This typed listing includes a provider’s name with a corresponding handwritten signature. Providers also may submit a complete medical record with appropriate signature documentation initially to avoid delays in review completion.

CMS also states that if the original record contains a printed signature below the illegible signature, it “may” be accepted.

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