Medical Billing Q&A Forum

What Are The CMS Requirements For Physician Signatures On Patient Records?

Want to avoid unnecessary audits and compliance headaches? Then make sure your signature is present on all your patients' charts. CMS has strict guidelines for what constitutes a legal identifier on services provided/ordered.  If the signature is handwritten, acceptable forms include:  A legible first and last name, a legible first initial with last name, or even an illegible signature over a printed or typed name.  Basically, as long as an illegible signature is on the same page as other information identifying the signer, CMS will accept the documentation.  WARNING:  Stamped signatures do not meet the CMS requirements.  This is because a signature stamp can be used by anyone who has access to the stamp, in essence making the signature impossible to authenticate.