November 28, 2017
Access to the Ordering/Referring Data File
The Home Health and Hospice Provider Contact Center has received calls from providers with questions about how to access the Ordering/Referring data file. As a reminder, an ordering/referring physician for home health care must be enrolled in the Medicare program, and have an enrollment record in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). Providers should first verify that the physician's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is available on the list of ordering/referring physicians at the Data.CMS.gov website.
From the Data.CMS.gov Web page, scroll down to find the "Ordering and Referring" dataset. After selecting the "Order and Referring" dataset, "About this Dataset" will display the most recent attachment to download. Simply click on the link provided under the "Attachments" heading (shown below), select Open or Save when asked (this will take a few minutes).
Another option to view the ordering/referring data file is to select "View Data" from the "Explore Data" drop down menu.
Please refer to the CGS Ordering/Referring Physician Checklist for Home Health Agencies quick resource tool to avoid ordering/referring physician related claim denials.