Thursday, September 24, 2020

Very Brief Blog: CMS Updates Coverage Site User Interface, More Features

For years and years, CMS has had a website that provides search services for national coverage decisions, local coverage decisions, and articles. It's here.  It's quirky and clumsy but it's what we had.

Earlier this month, they released some new search features which are discussed in a two page PDF - here.

But wait, there's more.

CMS has now rolled out a new, more modern, search page.   Enter it here.



Note that this web page is like Google, it will start auto-filling what it thinks you might want:

Once you have gotten to a document, something new appears, a number of pull-down menus left-to-right that let you narrow your search (by MAC, by State, etc).


Don't Ignore Old-Fashioned On-the-Menu Reports

There are a lot of times you still want to use the old search interfaces and reports - for example, if you want all the active LCDs for Florida.   However, the new tools and new interface option make it clear they are trying hard to keep up with modern web design and they deserve credit for that.

Another feature to be aware of, the What's New, Local Coverage "REPORT" (click REPORT tab), which gives you all new articles in that week's update either nationwide or in a geography of interest.



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Depending on how you enter the "new" search website, it may give offer you a pop-up tutorial (in 5 or 10 pop up screens in sequence).  I don't see it again, so it may be smart enough to offer that only once.