Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Plus: HIPAA audits may not be coming soon due to budget issues.

Practices that live in constant fear over an OIG audit might think that the agency’s only challenge is which practice to scrutinize first. But the reality is that the OIG has identified ten management challenges that it faced in 2013 and will continue to tackle going forward.

The following list summarizes the OIG’s Top Management and Performance Challenges for 2013, as noted on the agency’s website at http://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/top-challenges/2013:

• Overseeing the health insurance marketplaces
• Transitioning to value-based payments for health care
• Ensuring appropriate use of prescription drugs in Medicare and Medicaid
• Protecting the integrity of an expanding Medicaid program
• Fighting fraud and waste in Medicare Parts A and B
• Preventing improper payments and fraud in Medicare Advantage
• Ensuring quality of care in nursing facilities and home- and community-based settings
• Effectively using data and technology to protect program integrity
• Protecting HHS grants and contract funds from fraud, waste and abuse
• Ensuring the safety of food, drugs and medical devices.