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CMS Regulations and Guidance Rulings

Guidance for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator decisions that serve as precedent final opinions and orders and statements of policy and interpretation.

Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Issue Date: February 27, 2012

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rulings are decisions of the Administrator that serve as precedent final opinions and orders and statements of policy and interpretation. They provide clarification and interpretation of complex or ambiguous provisions of the law or regulations relating to Medicare, Medicaid, Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review, private health insurance, and related matters.

CMS Rulings are binding on all CMS components, Medicare contractors, the Provider Reimbursement Review Board, the Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board, and Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) of the Social Security Administration (SSA) who hear Medicare appeals. These Rulings promote consistency in interpretation of policy and adjudication of disputes.


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DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.