Hospital stay information can be your path to M0175 accuracy. Now that the feds have stopped alerting you to M0175 errors in your favor, you need all the help you can get to ensure you're receiving the reimbursement you deserve.
Diagnosis related groups drive the hospital's reimbursement for a patient's stay. So hospitals rarely keep patients much longer than the average for their specific DRG, advises consultant Karen Vance with BKD in Springfield, MO (see the story Drgs Can Help You Prevent A $600 Mistake). Check your patients' stays against these DRG lengths of stay to see if there's a hidden SNF or rehab stay - and an extra $200 to $600 per patient - waiting to be discovered.
Links in chart: http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-02-00-00320.pdf and www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040811c.html