The suspension of automatic denials is retroactive to April 1, with an implementation date of Oct. 17.
In Oct. 2009, CMS issued CR 6563, entitled “Billing for Services Related to Voluntary Uses of Advance Beneficiary Notices of Noncoverage (ABNs)”, effective April 1, which changed processing of institutional claims with the modifier –GA and directed Medicare contractors processing institutional claims to automatically deny line items submitted with the modifier
The new transmittal (CR 7106) requires that Medicare contractors notify providers that services submitted with the -GA modifier on institutional claims will not be subject to automatic denial until further notice.
Read the MLN Matters article about modifier GA (pdf).