First Tier Entity: any party that enters into a written arrangement, acceptable to CMS, with an MA organization or applicant to provide administrative services or health care services for a Medicare eligible individual under the MA program.
A certified provider or supplier that wishes to terminate its agreement with Medicare must send a written notice of its intention to the CMS Survey & Operations Group (SOG) location, the state agency or the contractor within the timeframes addressed in § 489.52. Under CMS Publication (Pub.)
A private contract is an agreement between two or more people that creates obligations that can be enforced by law. It can be a written document or just a verbal agreement. The contract outlines what each person involved must do and what they will receive in return.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE A NEW PHYSICIAN, PRACTITIONER OR SUPPLIER: If you choose to be a participant: Complete the blank agreement (CMS-460) and submit it with your Medicare enrollment application to your MAC.