Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
White House: CMS Not Making Enough Effort to Fix Errors
Although it might feel like CMS is doing everything it can to keep money away from medical practices, the White House believes the agency isn’t doing enough to save cash. That’s the takeaway from a Feb. 26 letter that Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan sent to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell, in which he said that the OMB believes “a more aggressive strategy can be implemented to reduce the levels of improper payments we are currently seeing.”
The letter, which was made public after the Center for Public Integrity filed a Freedom of Information Act suit, also said that the Medicare Fee-for-Service improper payment estimate in 2014 was $9.7 billion higher than the previous year, and the Medicaid improper payment amount was $3.1 billion higher than 2013 levels. “The $12.2 billion improper payment amount remains a concern,” Donovan said.
Donovan urged Burwell to find “new and innovative ways to address the problem” and use “every tool at our disposal” in that effort. This will probably mean that the HHS, as well as its Office of Inspector General (OIG), will be using new strategies to ensure that mistakes are brought to a minimum. Keep an eye on these pages as these new tactics are unveiled to find out how HHS intends to implement additional ways to eliminate overpayments.
Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
- Reimbursement:
'Prosecutorial Discretion' Could Save You from Overpayment Penalties -- Here's How
Could your diligent and faithful actions bail you out on day 61? You must start [...] - Overpayments:
Look Ahead: 3 Potential After Effects from Overpayment Case
Plus, what steps you should take now to protect yourself from enforcement actions. As the [...] - Audits:
Does Your Documentation Support Services Billed?
E/M coding still tripping up reimbursement. If 73.3 percent of your claims were denied or [...] - Medical Reviews:
New Review Entities on the Horizon
CMS proposes switch. You’ll be getting medical reviews from a new entity for 2016. The [...] - PHI:
Keep Looking for New Ways To Secure Data
Growing number of breaches in 2015 indicate continuing vulnerability. Accidental losses of laptops, external hard [...] - Industry Note:
White House: CMS Not Making Enough Effort to Fix Errors
Although it might feel like CMS is doing everything it can to keep money [...] - Industry Note:
Cost Report Changes Afoot for Variety of Hospice Types
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may have issued freestanding hospices’ new cost [...] - Industry Note:
Submit F2F for All Reviewed Claims -- Even Recerts
Don’t forget that medical reviewers will be poring over your claims for face-to-face documentation — [...]
