OIG Work Plan 2013 – Medical Equipment and Supplies

If you are not aware, every year the OIG ( Office of Inspector General) produces a report on what they plan to audit and review for the upcoming year. The new report does not take past items of interest off the table.

Here are some highlights for medical equipment suppliers:
1. They will review Accreditation Organization and their process for approving providers.
2. Service code modifier KX indicates the patient meets the medical criteria and upon request their is information that supports the medical need of the patient. In audits, they have found that providers have little to no documentation to support medical need. Make sure you read the medical records you obtain from physicians ordering services to ensure they include documentation that supports services you have provided.
3. In audits of lower limb prostheses, they have found in 267 providers audited no history of the patient having a lower limb amputation. I would recommend if you are providing prostheses, you obtain where the amputation was done. Medicare may not have documentation because it was not paid for by Medicare or change of physicians.
4. It appears they will be looking at reimbursement for several items and comparing it to other payor sources to see if they can reduce their reimbursement or frequency for items such as erect aids, back orthoses, parenteral nutrition, and CPAP (frequency).
5. Diabetic supplies will be reviewed for: a) see if medical records corroborate the IDDM as compared to NIDDM (making sure IDDM isn’t submitted just to bill for more supplies), b) multiple supplies, c) make sure supplies are not auto shipped, d) patients requests refill, e) the quantity of supplies left is documented at the time of request for refill, f) compares supplies provided to the competitive bid areas, g) see if “non-mail” order supplies were actually mailed, if they are in competitive bid areas, and h) IF supplies are mailed but KL not applies to indicate so the provider receives a higher rate of reimbursement.

If you have not started your compliance program audit and risk assessment protocol, these are some key areas to look at to reduce your business risk. Ask physicians to provide copies of medical records at the time of the order.

Remember, to look at the OIG Work Plan from 2012.  I outlined hightlights last year that you really need to review if you did not and continue to include those moving forward.

You may find the the OIG Work Plan details at https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/workplan/index.asp and see Medicare Part I for Parts A & B.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller is Certified in Healthcare Compliance.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Advertisement

Accountable Care Expo – Dallas – Medical Auditing Solutions LLC August 1 2012

As many of you know the Patient Protection Accountable Care Act has a mandate requiring the implementation of cost containment managed care of patients, or Accountable Care Organization (ACO).  Many have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the US Supreme Court Ruling on, and since they upheld ObamaCare….this is moving forward.  So, join Dallas area providers as they collaborate on HOW IN THE HECK to implement programs locally and make it work.  Providers and patients need to take a valid interest in being proactive versus treating the present situation.  You can view the agenda and register for the Dallas Accountable Care Expo to be held August 1, 2012 all day attendance is free except for the luncheon.  If you are not in the Dallas area, there are ACO Expos planned for Chicago and Las Vegas with others in the works.

Angela Miller, President of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC will be speaking on the Compliance Program Requirement.  All participants in an ACO must have a compliance program in place to participate so before March 2013.  Ms. Miller has over 18 years experience in corporate compliance programs, healthcare billing, collections, and coding audits.

Edward Vishnevetsky, Healthcare attorney with Munsch Hardt will be the luncheon Keynote Speaker on “Obstacles with ACO.”  Have you ever been able to listen to an attorney for the cost of lunch?  Well, mark this on your calendar and register now.  Mr. Vishnevetsky will also be speaking on the implications of the US Supreme Court Decision to uphold ObamaCare.

Bring your questions, concerns, and ideas on August 1, 2012.  It will be a day of speakers and exhibitor booths.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller is Certified in Healthcare Compliance.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Texas Dental Providers – Take Aways from HHSC Committee Meeting 3/20/12

I listened to the live Texas Senate Committee meeting regarding the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Charge 4 (dental & orthodontics) yesterday 3/20/12.  Unfortunately, this Senate Committee is concerned about the amount of money paid for orthodontic services and convinced Orthodontic services were provided at an abusive level and they want this money back.  I am providing what I took away from this meeting and we will discuss how to protect yourself.

1. Senator Jane Nelson is willing to push thru legislation to allow parents in the treatment room.  I didn’t understand this…I suspect she has received a complaint from a parent where the Dental Provider refused to allow the parent in the treatment room.  My opinion is, this is one thing if the room has a door or if the patient is sedated because you do not want to add liability to your business.  Having a second company staff member in the room present will reduce risk as well.  As for HIPAA, what are your privacy and security policies for this situation?  If you do not have policies, they have been required since 2003 and 2009 respectively so very important to get this done.
2. They want to go after dentist for the unlimited orthodontic visits.  Policy said “unlimited”!  Keep in mind if the Dental Provider was racking up unnecessary visits, it doesn’t matter if it is unlimited visits in policy, the visits were unnecessary therefore a potential fraud and abuse overpayment.  If these were legitimate visits and necessary, you should not pay that money back.  So policy for this is being reduced to 12 visits, they say.
3. They pay for transportation to the dentist if the patient cannot afford it.  At present the patients are paid upfront or MCD pays the transportation company.  In the future, they will have to provide proof of visit and proof they used the transportation to be reimbursed.
4. They are looking at bundling orthodontic rates versus per visit rate.
5. More talk of suspending provider numbers based on allegations of credible fraud.  This is huge and critically important to include exit interviews with staff that is leaving the company.  You also need to have a compliance program with reporting mechanism in place.  If you collect $5M or more in Medicaid funds you were required to have a healthcare compliance program in 2007.  All other Medicaid providers are required to have a compliance program by 2013.
6. Inspector General has 31 current investigations of Orthodontic practices at this time.
7. Senator Jane Nelson and the committee want the business to have to be licensed and registered with the dental board similar to a pharmacy with the pharmacy board.  I suspect changes will follow for a proposal of such.  This will bring additional revenue into the Dental Board but it will permit investigations into complaints of ABC Dental versus the need for a dental providers name which is the current requirement.
8. Expect audits to pick up on Orthodontic services.  They noticed as of 10/1/11 when the requirement to send molds went into place, request dropped and PARs were denied.  If you provided orthodontics to children under 13 or now 12, those are especially at risk for audit.
9. They put a lot of emphasis on HLD Scores.  Where do you record these and how you measure to get the score?
10. The TMHP Medicaid contractor responsible for reviewing this information basically rubber stamped requests.  They did not review for “medical necessity;”  it was primarily to make sure the form was completed and the HLD Score was >=26.  The Dental Director was terminated and they have hired a replacement.  They HHS/IG will be auditing the approved PARs (Prior Auth Requests) and recouping money.  The debate is if they will recoup from TMHP or from the provider.  Again, if the services were fraudulent and dishonest it, I fully expect they will go after the provider.  There is always a possibility if TMHP didn’t review and it did not meet the coverage criteria, they will try to recoup from the provider as well.  They expect these audits to be complete in 6-12 months and they have already started.
11. By using Dental Managed Care Payers, these organizations have experience in other states and they have ideas on how to reduce Fraud & Abuse (F&A).  They think by using someone with experience to review and process these claims will reduce F&A.
12. On the federal level, in 2010 Office of Audit Services contacted Texas inquiring about Orthodontic billing and providers.  So the federal government has taken notice of Texas and since they provide funding to the medicaid program, Texas has to respond to the concerns.
13. No recruiting clients in parking lots….…this seems to be an issue.
14. The HHSC office admitted the policies were such that it didn’t catch issues and the department processing was not staffed properly.
15. I would expect a tremendous increase in audits and policy changes.
16. Texas spent as much as 49 other states total from 9/1/08-5/28/11 on Orthodontic services.  An additional 500,000 kids were seen for checkups after the rates increased in 2008 by 50-100% than in previous years.
17. The committee suggested HHSC do a Cost Benefit Analysis on providing orthodontic care to children and if that prevented excessive spending later if it were not done.

Now, what should you do?  I strongly recommend the following and sometimes it is good to get an outside consultant to review because of objectivity and the familiarity with issues being identified.

1. Make sure you have HIPAA policies in place that are applicable to your business.
2. Assess whether you need a healthcare compliance program now (because you were required in 2007) or if not make a plan to get this done.
3. Items 1 and 2, a vital if you are investigated now even if not required.  Corporate culture is first questions the government asks.
4. A sample audit of claims.  This is critical because you need to assess your risk as a company.  Assess the documentation versus coverage criteria.
5. If audited, NEVER just cut a check for the overpayment requested!  Why, you ask?  The payer sees this as admission of guilt and if they haven’t extrapolated already they are more likely to do so.  This is not a good surprise to get in the mail6-12-14 months later!!  I have seen this happen.  Get a consultant and attorney and prepare a defense.  It will be less expensive to do when you get the audit than after the appeal process has started.

We work with several dental practices and the goal is to educate providers so they reduce risk and pass audits.  We also work with Looper, Reed, and McGraw LP, a law firm with attorneys that specializes in dental practices.  We work as a team with our practice and emphasize “proactive”operations.  We will be happy to schedule

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

ZPIC Audits What We’ve Learned from 2011 and other Audit Risks Webinar

Edward Vishnevetsky, healthcare attorney with Munsch Hardt has asked Angela Miller to join him as a guest speaker during his presentation next Thursday, February 9, noon-1pm CST.  Audits are inevitable at this point, so better be prepared and proactive for the audits that are coming.  Join us as we discuss ZPIC audits and other audits you can expect in 2012, such as HIPAA, OCR, Medicaid RAC, Commercial audit expansion. Also learn how best to prepare and prevent  adverse outcomes.

You are Invited to Join our Complimentary Medicare ZPIC Audit Webinar

Featuring Topics on:

	Changes to Medicare ZPIC and RAC Audits
	The Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) take on Audits in 2012 based on the 2012 OIG Work Plan
	Which HCPCS codes may be most vulnerable and subject to scrutiny
	How DME suppliers can work with physicians, hospitals and manufacturers to assist in responding to audits
	Tips on how to effectively respond to audits (based on lessons learned in 2011)
	Other Audit Risk and Prevention

Presentation Given By:

Edward Vishnevetsky

Attorney at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

Featuring Guest Speaker:

Angela Miller

President of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC

Date: Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Time: 12:00-1:00 PM CST

Cost: Complimentary

To reserve your Webinar seat, please click here.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Thomas.

Edward Vishnevetsky has successful defends over 40 physicians, DME providers and HHAs against ZPIC, CERT, MAC and RAC Audits; achieved 100% success rate in removing providers from pre-payment audit.  Successfully defended over 100 providers through all stages of Medicare appeals, including the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) level.  Read more at Munsch-Vishnevetsky

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Medtrade Fall 2010 – Got Your KX? Get Cash $$

I will be speaking at Medtrade Fall 2010, November 18 at 8:30am-9:30am.  Learn the misconceptions of filing with the KX Modifier.  Also learn what you must have in your file for medical necessity documentation to submit a claim with the KX Modifier.  With so many audit contractors (RAC, ZPIC, payor, OIG) going after the DME industry and KX modifier products, it is critical that you attend and hear proactive measures to protect your business.

Universal Software Solutions is sponsoring my presentation.  I greatly appreciate their support and sponsorship.

You will be able to find Universal and myself at booth 335.  I will be speaking at their booth on November 17 at 11am and 3pm as well as November 18 at 10am.  All topics will be billing and collections related.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

15 Minute Thoughts: NP and PA Visits: Can the non-physician provider be billed under the physician?

Reminder for our call TODAY Wednesday

Program your Phone and Calendar:

Date & Time:                                        August 11, 2010,   8:30am-8:45am CST

MAS Conference Call Dial-in#:     218-862-1300

Conference Code:                               622911

MAS Office number:                          972-459-1508

Who should call in?

Any health care provider, Health care business owner or manager, Attorneys, Compliance Officer, Physicians, Non-physician providers, and Office Managers

Topic

NP & PA Visits: Can the non-physician provider be billed under the physician? I  have heard many questions in the last few months about whether a NP, PA, CNS can be billed under the physician’s provider number for any reason.  Can it be done while the non-physician provider is waiting on their only provider number?

Join myself and guest speaker, Edward Vishnevetsky as he provides input on whether non-physician providers can be billed under the physician provider number.  Mr. Vishnevesky is with Thompson & Coe in the Dallas, Texas office.  Edward L. Vishnevetsky has extensive experience in the area of health law and commercial litigation. He routinely argues before state and federal courts in areas of health law, employment law, and complex commercial litigation, and also represents hospitals, physicians, durable medical equipment (DME) providers and manufacturers before various state and federal regulatory agencies. Edward advises health care clients on operational matters, liability exposure, privacy issues, federal and state health care regulatory compliance, health care reimbursement disputes, as well as risk management issues. Edward is fluent in Russian and has conversational knowledge of Spanish.  To read his complete & extensive biography visit Thompson & Coe or Edward Vishnevetsky.

Join the next discussion in one week:

August 18, 2010         Payer Audits Giving “RAC’d” a Whole New Meaning: Tips to Manage Audits

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria through compliance program development, management and training.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

“15 Minute Thought” Schedule – Free Informational Programs

“15 MINUTE THOUGHT”

MAS is pioneering an informational program that you can listen to over a cup of coffee while you organize your day or on your drive to work. The name of the program is “15 Minute Thought”.  These calls will be free and informative.  Our focus is to give you a new thought once per month to help improve your business during these tough regulatory times.

Program your Phone and Calendar:

The 2^nd* and 3^rd Wednesday Every Month                 at 8:30am-8:45am CST

* Indicates specific audience

MAS Conference Call Dial-in#:         218-862-1300

Conference Code:                               622911

MAS Office number:                          972-459-1508

MAS Fax:                                               214-461-0295

Who should call in?

Any health care provider, Health care business owner or manager, Attorneys, Compliance Officer, and Office Managers

Schedule & Topics

July 14, 2010               Bankruptcy Attorneys & other Attorneys:  What you need to know about Medical Receivables*

July 21, 2010               Patient Visits: Changes, Increase Revenue, & Ordered Services

August 11, 2010         Physicians: NP & PA Visits: Can the non-physician provider be billed under the physician?*

August 18, 2010         Payer Audits Giving “RAC’d” a Whole New Meaning: Tips to Manage Audits

September 8, 2010      Conflict of Interest: Pay Attention or Write a Big Check

September 15, 2010    Compliance Officer:  Who? What? …Really?

October 13, 2010        Dental Providers:  Reform & Common Audit Errors*

October 20, 2010        Reserve Chute: Not just for jumping out of planes

There will be guest speakers.  We will release the brief description of the call within the next 24 hours.  There are plans to have Edward Vishnevetsky of Thompson Coe, Darrell Armer of Looper Reed & McGraw, David Reimer of Dental Medical Economics as well as others guest such as Advocate, MD present over the next few months as we roll this program out.  You will hear thoughts from some of the best in the health care industry.  The guest schedules are not finalized and they may participate in programs setup on this schedule.  We may increase the number of calls depending on the attendance.

Follow MAS Blog for Schedule & Updates.  You can “follow” MAS on all social media and new blog links are published.  We only publish useful information and breaking news.

Blog:  http://www.angelamillermas.wordpress.com or via website
Linkedin:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/medicalauditingsolutions
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/AngelaMiller.MAS

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

Medtrade Spring 2010 – Vegas

The HME & Pharmacy industry has been hit hard the last couple of years with reimbursement cuts, competitive bidding and much more.  The big focus on Medtrade Vegas 2010 is to help the suppliers be proactive and more efficient with their business.  Medical Auditing Solutions will be there to meet with clients and vendors as well to be an active participant in these solutions.

Angela Miller will be speaking Wednesday, May 12,  at 9:15am on “Developing a Risk Protocol for Auditing.”  This program will discuss how to identify the risk model(s) for your business.  Every business will have a different risk model.  The program will review areas for auditing the risk model.   This program will be a tool to help you develop your audit plan.

We look forward to speaking with you.  If you miss the session and would like to schedule a meeting with Ms. Miller, you may contact her by email (angela@medicalauditingsolutions.com) or by mobile (409.673.7103).  No sales calls will be accepted.  This is a time for our clients.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, auditing, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria.  Ms. Miller is very experienced with Medicare & Payer audits.  Ms. Miller ran a very successful compliance program for over 5 years for the largest private held HME/Pharmacy provider in the US at the time.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back-end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.

TAHCS Lone Star Conference

REGISTER NOW!   http://www.box.net/shared/5mqkgyr94e Early Bird Pricing Extended 1 week, so hurry!

ALL DAY ONLY $99 INCLUDES LUNCH & free  Happy Hour

I will be participating at the ALL DAY Conference.  We tried to make this a half day conference but there is so much information and so many changes that we just could not fit it into 4 hours.  This conference will include session presented by Thompson Coe, myself and representatives from CIGNA and VGM.  This conference will discuss the many woes that you are facing as health care providers from Competitive Bidding, ZPIC & RAC Audits, Compliance Issues, Effects of the new Healthcare Bill, Reimbursement and Legal Aspects to protect your business.  There will be many vendors that focus on helping health care providers run their businesses more efficiently and save money.

The 2010 LoneStar HME Conference will be held at the Dallas Crown Plaza Market Center Hotel. This one-day event will bring together top professionals in various fields, including numerous lawyers from Thompson Coe, who will present on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Competitive Bidding; the HITECH Act – Edward L. Vishnevetsky (Thompson Coe)
• Medicare’s Latest Changes – Mark Loney (Cigna Health Service)
• ZPIC/RAC Audits – John G. Browning (Thompson Coe)
• Governmental Affairs Update – Mark Higley (VGM)
• DME Manufacturer/Supplier Lawsuits – Jeff Otto (Thompson Coe)
• Texas Legislative Update in Health Care – Jay Thompson (Thompson Coe)
• Effective Lobbying of HR 3790 – Barry Johnson (TAHCS)
• Choice of Business Entity for DME Suppliers – Bruce Bringardner (Thompson Coe)
• Proactive Chart Documentation – Angela Miller (Medical Auditing Solutions)

You will leave with a great deal of knowledge and only for $99 which includes lunch.  The Free Happy Hour is sponsored by Thompson Coe.  You will have a chance to network and have your questions answered by the best experts in the industry.  Get a double dose of information while enjoying yourself !  Now where can you spend an hour with 3-4 attorneys networking and asking questions for free?

Don’t miss this extraordinary meeting.  Take advantage of our industry experts in a relaxed atmosphere.  Learn how to survive tough times and do not miss the insider information

Early Bird Pricing Extended 1 Week 4/7/10, so hurry!  If you include the following code you can extend the early bird price of $99. 9-52  code- 042610

HME Lone Star Conference

2010 HME Lone Star Conference.
Crowne Plaza – Dallas Market Center
7050 N. Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247

April 26, 2010
8:30 to 4:00 pm
Free parking
Lunch included with registration

REGISTER NOW AT:   http://www.box.net/shared/5mqkgyr94e
Make plans to attend this informative
HME meeting featuring nationally
recognized speakers. Presented By: TAHCS & Thompson Coe

RAC and ZPIC Audits: How to have a Successful Payer Audit?

In the last twelve months, there has been more money than ever before put into fighting fraud and abuse.  Contractors are requesting more charts than ever before to review for fraud and abuse.  How do you have a successful payer audit?  The simple answer is provide the documents requested, but there is more to it.

First, Make a checklist for each chart.  Pull each chart and copy all records requested.  The request period may not include the delivery or start date and copies of initial qualifying test results and/or chart notes, include them if it is pertinent to the determination of ongoing medical necessity for example rentals of equipment.  If you did not obtain the test results or physician chart notes at the time of the start of care, request them now because the physician is not penalized if he does not respond.  Physician failure to respond to a request is an error and results in “overpayment/error” paid by the provider.  It is in your best interest to gather and submit each patient record in an organized manner.  This needs to be top priority because you have limited time frame to produce and failure to respond timely results in overpayment calculations!

Have you seen or heard the “error rates” being published?  The way it sounds, ever provider will have an audit with an error rate, it is just a matter of time.  A error rate published March 1, 2010, by Noridian was over 102 files with 86% error rate.  This is a small sample to create a crisis over.

I would recommend you have an independent third party, whether consultant or your health care attorney,  review the records before you send them off.  You can typically be granted one extension.  Do not wait until the last minute to start this process.  If you have a large number, have someone review a sample then expand based on the determined error rate.

If more than 20-30 charts are requested, I would notify outside counsel.  I am receiving new clients weekly with 200, 300, 400 or more charts being requested.  To produce duplicate copies of these records and obtain physician records in 14-21 days may be difficult and still run your business.

If you haven’t received an audit to this point, be prepared for when it happens.  Any overpayment determination in a payer audit requires payment arrangements prior to the appeal process being completed.  Be proactive, have an audit of your business to be prepared for when that day comes.

Angela Miller of Medical Auditing Solutions LLC has been in health care compliance, billing, collections and HIPAA for over 18 years.  Ms. Miller has made it the  focus of the business to help providers run their businesses efficiently, collect money, and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and coverage criteria.  Ms. Miller has extensive experience with Medicare and Payer audits.  Ms. Miller  also works as a contract compliance officer to provide an avenue to compliance training to staff, implementation of policies, as well as handling anything that affects cash flow from the initial intake to back end collections. You can visit our website at Medical Auditing Solutions LLC.