Comply with Medicare Signature Requirements

Prescriptions and other medical documentation supporting claims submitted to Medicare must be signed by the treating practitioner. Medicare outlines specific signature requirements:

• A valid signature can be handwritten or electronic.
• Handwritten signatures must be legible or confirmed by a signature log or attestations statement.
• A signature log is a typed list of medical providers, their NPI numbers, and their names, which corresponds to the handwritten signature.
• The log is used to prove verification of a signature that may not be legible.
• An attestation statement affirms the signature belongs to the treating practitioner.
• If using an attestation statement, it must be signed, dated, and contain enough information to identify the patient.

Electronic signatures are created within an EMR system. The system and/or software program must have built-in protections on the signature. The provider of service accepts responsibility for the authenticity of the signature.

What Does This Mean for You?

Review the signature requirements for prescriptions and other medical documentation. Missing or illegible signatures may result in delayed or denied claims. Read more about Medicare Signature Requirements here