If you searched for the CMS-855R, here is the short answer: it no longer exists as a separate form. CMS merged it into the CMS-855I. Reassignment of Medicare benefits still matters just as much as it always did, but it is now reported on the individual practitioner's 855I or handled in PECOS.
This guide explains what reassignment is, what changed, who has to sign, and the mistakes that leave groups with enrolled clinicians whose claims still deny.
What reassignment of benefits is
By default, Medicare pays the practitioner who provided the service. When a physician or other practitioner works for a group, clinic or other organization and that organization bills Medicare for their services, the practitioner has to reassign their right to receive Medicare payment to the organization. Reassignment is the formal link that tells Medicare, "pay this group for this clinician's work."
Without it, a group can have its own enrollment and the clinician can have theirs, and Medicare still will not pay the group for that clinician's services.
What changed with the 855R
CMS consolidated the CMS-855R into the CMS-855I. The current 855I states it directly: all reassignment actions should now be reported via the CMS-855I, and the CMS-855R has been discontinued. According to CMS's bulletin on the change, contractors began accepting the revised 855I in September 2023 and stopped accepting the old 855R after October 2023. Applications on the retired versions are returned with a letter asking for the current form.
That means three kinds of actions now run through the 855I or PECOS:
- Adding a new reassignment when a practitioner joins a group
- Changing information on an existing reassignment
- Terminating a reassignment when a practitioner leaves
Our CMS-855 form guide explains where the 855I fits among the other enrollment forms, and our CMS-855I guide covers the rest of the individual application.
The rules that still apply
Both sides must be enrolled
The practitioner and the organization must both be enrolled in Medicare, or be enrolling at the same time, before a reassignment can take effect. For a new group, that usually means the group's 855B and each practitioner's 855I move together. A reassignment to a group with no Medicare enrollment of its own goes nowhere.
Both sides sign for a new reassignment
A new reassignment needs signatures from the practitioner and from the organization's authorized or delegated official. When a group onboards several clinicians at once, collecting the right signatures from the right people is often the slowest part.
Changes need to be reported
By signing, the practitioner or official agrees to notify the Medicare contractor of future changes to the reassignment. When a clinician leaves, the reassignment should be terminated so the record stays accurate.
Revalidations must list every active reassignment
When a practitioner revalidates, the 855I must list all active reassignments. A clinician who works for two groups needs both on the application. See our revalidation guide for the rest of that process.
Common reassignment mistakes
- Using the old 855R. Templates and onboarding checklists from before 2023 still circulate, and old form versions are returned.
- Reassigning to the wrong group record. Groups with more than one enrollment or tax ID need the reassignment pointed at the correct one.
- Hiring before the group is enrolled. If the group's own enrollment is not in place, the clinician's reassignment cannot take effect.
- Forgetting terminations. Departed clinicians who still appear as reassigned create cleanup at revalidation time and can cause confusion on claims.
- Missing signatures or incomplete packages. CMS rules allow a contractor to reject a reassignment package if the forms needed to process it are not submitted within 30 days. Our article on common rejection reasons covers this.
A note for growing groups
Reassignment is where Medicare enrollment becomes an operations problem rather than a paperwork problem. Every new hire, departure and new location touches it. Practices that treat it as part of onboarding and offboarding, with a named owner, have far fewer surprises than practices that handle it only when a claim denies.
It also helps to know what reassignment does not do. It does not create a Medicare enrollment for the practitioner or for the group; each still needs its own. It does not move a clinician into a new state, which needs its own license and enrollment details. And it does not carry over to commercial plans or Medicaid, which have their own processes for linking clinicians to a group. A clean reassignment sits on top of two accurate enrollments, and that is where we start.
How Maverick handles reassignment
We check the group's enrollment and each practitioner's record first, then prepare the reassignment in PECOS or on the current 855I, route it to the right signers, and submit once the package is complete. We handle terminations when clinicians leave, keep reassignments current for revalidation, and follow up with the Medicare contractor on a set schedule, keeping you updated.
Read more on our Medicare and Medicaid enrollment service page.
Sources: CMS-855I Medicare Enrollment Application, Section 4F (CMS.gov); CMS, Consolidated CMS-855I/CMS-855R Enrollment Applications bulletin; Medicare Program Integrity Manual, Chapter 10; 42 CFR 424.525. Verified October 2026.