PECOS stands for Provider, Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System. It is an online Medicare enrollment management system that allows individuals and entities to enroll as Medicare providers or suppliers, renew their enrollment, withdraw from the Medicare program, keep their information up to date, report any changes to their enrollment record, and electronically sign and submit all their information. The PECOS system is managed and maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) .

Physicians, specialists, registered nurses, physician assistants, certified clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, and physicians employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Public Health Service, or the Department of Defense/Tricare must register in PECOS. If a provider doesnt register in PECOS, they wont be able to participate in the Medicare program.

PECOS applications are processed electronically, allowing for an efficient and data-protected process. The PECOS system has video and print tutorials to help users get started. The PECOS database is updated bi-weekly, and it is critical to monitor National Provider Identifier (NPI) status and the CMS Preclusion List.

Physicians who have not enrolled in or opted out of Medicare participation will not be permitted to order or refer patients for Medicare-covered home health services and DME supplies. CMS verifies physicians status by using its provider enrollment database known as PECOS. If a physician does not have an approved enrollment record in PECOS, Medicare will not pay for home health services provided to that physicians patients.

In summary, PECOS is an online Medicare enrollment management system that allows individuals and entities to enroll as Medicare providers or suppliers, renew their enrollment, withdraw from the Medicare program, keep their information up to date, report any changes to their enrollment record, and electronically sign and submit all their information. Physicians, specialists, registered nurses, physician assistants, certified clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, and physicians employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Public Health Service, or the Department of Defense/Tricare must register in PECOS.