Do you write prescriptions for seniors? Make sure your dental practice is enrolled in Medicare

Part D drug prescribers are required to be enrolled in, or validly opted out of, Medicare for their prescriptions to continue to be covered by Medicare Part D. Dentists are not exempt from this requirement.

Even though Medicare isn’t a dental plan, some dentists can and do bill some services to Medicare, or they prescribe drugs for their Medicare patients who are enrolled in a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D).

If you ever prescribe drugs for patients age 65 or older, such as antibiotics or analgesics, it’s a good idea to enroll now in Medicare as a prescriber. Most of your patients age 65 and older have Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Even a few of your patients who are under age 65 may have Medicare Part D coverage under some circumstances.

Do not be intimidated! It’s free, quick, and easy to enroll as a Medicare provider, and you don’t need to pay an outside business to do it for you. Visit go.cms.gov/PrescriberEnrollment and video go.cms.gov/PECOSVideo to walk you through what you need to do on the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) website located at go.cms.gov/pecos.

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It should take you less than 30 minutes to enroll via PECOS. Applications generally take 45 days to process after they have been submitted. Processing involves verifying your credentials. This helps protect you and your patients.

Not sure if you should enroll? If you do not enroll, your patients may get a letter in the future stating that you’re not eligible to prescribe Part D-covered drugs. This may persuade them to seek out dentists who meet the Medicare requirements to prescribe Part D covered drugs. By enrolling, you’re reassuring your patients that any Part D-covered prescriptions you write will be covered by Medicare, just like prescriptions they get from their physicians.

Are you considering opting out of Medicare (instead of enrolling) to fulfill the requirement? Make sure this is the right choice for you before doing so. Opting out can also have an impact on other services you bill.

For more information about enrolling or opting out, visit the Medicare Part D prescriber enrollment website at go.cms.gov/PrescriberEnrollment or contact your local Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) at go.cms.gov/partdmaclist to start enrolling now.