According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), physicians who submit Medicare provider enrollment or change-of-information forms over the next few months should expect processing delays.

CMS is in the final stages of rolling out its national provider enrollment system, the Provider Enrollment Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). While PECOS should greatly reduce processing time in the long run, the short term may have providers experiencing longer than usual waits as carriers get accustomed to the new system.

PECOS is a standardized national Medicare provider database, which is designed to simplify the application and change-of-information processes. For providers who work with multiple carriers, PECOS will eliminate the need to send duplicate information, according to CMS. PECOS is also designed to enable applicants to submit and validate their enrollment data online.

If you have questions about a recently submitted application or change-of-information form, please call your Medicare carrier's provider enrollment department (Northern California, 877/591-1587; Southern California, 866/502-9054).