Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Focus on self-audits to eliminate possible problems before the feds come calling. The OIG has some big plans next year for reviewing claims, and they span the whole spectrum of issues. Take a look at some of the areas under the OIG microscope so your practice can straighten out any issues before the auditors come knocking. 1. Potentially Inappropriate E/M Payments and ‘Identical Documentation.’ The OIG intends to go back in time -- all the way to 2010, to be exact, when reviewing E/M claims, according to the 2013 Work Plan, released on Oct. 2. "We will determine the extent to which CMS made potentially inappropriate payments for E/M services in 2010 and the consistency of E/M medical review determinations," the Work Plan states. The OIG also plans to review multiple E/M notes for each provider to determine whether electronic health record use by providers is allowing them to create cloned notes for different [...]