The Region D Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC), HealthDataInsights (HDI), has posted a new issue which states that it will begin pre-payment review of medical necessity for MS-DRG 312 (syncope and collapse). The issue is part of the pre-payment review demonstration program, and is the first approved issue posted as part…
Editor’s Note: This is part of a week long series exploring the impact of the OIG 2013 Work Plan on different types of providers and organizations. On October 3, 2012 the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its Work Plan for fiscal year 2013.…
Editor’s Note: This is part of a week long series exploring the impact of the OIG 2013 Work Plan on different types of providers and organizations. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the OIG’s annual Work Plan. The Work Plan includes the…
Editor’s Note: This is part of a week long series exploring the impact of the OIG 2013 Work Plan on different types of providers and organizations. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced in its recently released 2013 Workplan that it intends to continue…
On September 26, 2012 The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on Schedule II drugs inappropriately billed to Medicare Part D. The report found that Medicare Part D inappropriately paid for $24.6 million in Schedule II drugs billed as refills, despite federal…
On September 14, 2012 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a report to Congress pursuant to the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 (STA). The report indicates that under the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), Medicare spending could be cut by almost $11.1 billion in fiscal year 2013…
On September 11, 2012 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that a Recovery Audit Contractor’s (RAC’s) initial decision to reopen a claim is not subject to judicial review. The case, Palomar Medical Center v. Sebelius, involved Palomar Medical Center arguing that a RAC has to…
On September 4, 2012 the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report in which it found that during calendar years 2009 and 2010 Medicare made overpayments to Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) totaling an estimated $8.4 million. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…
On August 15, 2012 the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) for Region A changed its name from Diversified Collection Services (DCS) to Performant Recovery, Inc. According to the website, processes, people, and contact information will remain the same. If you have questions about Recovery Audit Contractors, or need assistance defending a…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released Comparative Billing Reports (CBRs) to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) providers. The CBRs are released to a maximum of 5,000 providers. CBRs can be an effective way to identify potential audit weaknesses and take corrective action before an audit. SNFs that…