A Command Performant(s): RAC Audits on the Rise
On May 13, 2016, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) released a report on the review activities of the different Medicare claim review contractors that CMS uses to help reduce improper payments and protect the...more
If there’s one thing that unites the hospital industry—even the fiercest competitors—it’s hatred of audits by recovery audit contractors, or RACs. Why? For one thing, because RACs operate on a contingency fee basis. They...more
GAO Finds CMS Should Fully Develop Plans for Medicare Advantage Encounter Data and Assess Data Quality Before Use – In a report released on September 2, 2014, GAO evaluated CMS’s plans for using Medicare Advantage (MA)...more
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report entitled “Medicare Program Integrity: Increased Oversight and Guidance Could Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency of Post-Payment Claims Reviews,” which...more
In recent reports, from June 25, 2014 and August 13, 2014, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlights the mixed results achieved by the federal government's increased efforts to crack down on health insurance fraud...more
Since the advent of Medicare in 1965, hospitals have bemoaned the cost and burden of Medicare audits. The complaints increased when CMS hired private contractors for the audits. They became deafening in 2009 with the advent...more
Criticism of the RAC (recovery audit contractor) program is becoming a national pastime. Needless to say, hospitals hated the program from the very beginning. And little wonder. The program pays private contractors a...more
Last week, CMS and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published two reports concerning Medicare contractor developments. In the Medicare Fee for Service National Recovery Audit Program Quarterly Newsletter, CMS...more