The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says it will not accept medical records containing a physician's stamped signature. CMS auditors will reject any document signed with a physician's signature stamp.
"Medicare will [only] accept handwritten, electronic signatures, or facsimiles of original written or electronic signatures," according to an MLN Matters article [ PDF ]. This includes progress notes, orders, and treatment plans. The reason for this crackdown is CMS's longstanding concern over abuse of signature stamps. "CMS has identified problems of noncompliance with existing statutes, regulations, rules, and other systemic problems relating to standards of practice for a valid physician's signature on medical orders and related medical documents," the article says.
Additional resource: TrailBlazer's Documentation Signature Requirements job aid.
Action , Aug. 18, 2008
Last Updated On
May 13, 2016
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010