The CMS Recovery Audit Prepayment Review (RAPR) Will Kick Off on August 27, 2012

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On July 31, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on its website that hospitals should brace themselves for prepayment audits beginning August 27, 2012.


The CMS originally announced the Recovery Audit Prepayment Review (RAPR) Demonstration Project in November of 2011 for a January 1, 2012 start date, then delayed it to June 1, 2012, then again to, “summer of 2012.”


To see the official announcement from the CMS, click here.

Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) will Review Claims with High Rates of Improper Billing.
The Recovery Audit Prepayment Review allows Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs), (commonly known to attorneys representing provers as “bounty hunters) to review claims before they are paid to ensure that the provider has complied with all Medicare payment rules. RACs will conduct prepayment reviews on certain types of claims that have been found to result in high rates of improper payments. The goal is to cut improper payments before they even happen.


Initial Launch of Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews Will Focus on Seven States.

The Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews will focus on seven states with high volumes of fraud and error-prone providers. These states are: California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, and Texas. The Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews will also include four states with a high volume of claim with short inpatient hospital stays. These states are Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.


Here are the RACs for those states from the CMS:


HealthDataInsights serves California and Missouri
7501 Trinity Peak Street, Suite 120
Las Vegas, NV 89128
(866) 590-5598


Connolly Inc. serves Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and North Carolina
One Crescent Drive, Suite 300-A
Philadelphia, PA 19112
(866) 360-2507


CGI Federal Inc. serves Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio
1001 Lakeside Ave., Suite 800
Cleveland, OH 44114
(877) 316-RACB


Diversified Collection Services serves New York and Pennsylvania
2819 Southwest Blvd
San Angelo, TX 76904
(866) 201-0580
To see the name of the RAC for your state, click here.

Other States May be Included in the Recovery Audit Prepayment Review Demonstration Project.


CMS is expecting that the prepayment reviews will help lower error rates by preventing improper payments instead of searching for improper payments after they occur. If these reviews are successful, other states will be included in subsequent roll-outs of the Recovery Audit Prepayment Review Demonstration.

Recovery Audit Prepayment Review Demonstration to Help Cut Improper Payments.


In 2012, President Obama set three goals for cutting improper payments this year: curbing overall payment errors by $50 billion, cutting Medicare error rate in half and recovering $2 billion in improper payments, according to CMS. The prepayment review program is intended to help achieve those goals. It will also play a big part in preventing fraud, waste and abuse.


The demonstration project will last for three years.


Click here to learn more on the Recover Audit Prepayment Review Demostration.

Our Issues with Widespread Prepayment Reviews.


Our concerns with the widespread use of prepayment reviews are many. Prepayment reviews, especially when used where there is no indication of any fraud or a high error rate, can slow down a health provider’s cash flow to the point that it is put out of business. This is especially true for those that are predominately reimbursed by Medicare. The small business provider is at a greater risk.


In addition, the increase in professional time, salaries, copy costs, handling costs and postage greatly increase the administrative burden and the cost of doing business. To date, we have not seen or heard of any proposal by CMS to reimburse the provider for this additional unnecessary and unplanned expense.


Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Handling Medicaid and Medicare Audits.

The Health Law Firm's attorneys routinely represent physicians, medical groups, clinics, pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, home health agencies, nursing homes and other healthcare providers in Medicaid and Medicare investigations, audits and recovery actions.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:
Cheung, Karen. “Prepayment Audits Start Aug. 27.” Fierce Healthcare. (July 31, 2012). From: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/prepayment-audits-start-aug-27/2012-07-31


CMS.gov. “Recovery Audit Prepayment Review.” CMS.gov. (July 31, 2012). From: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Monitoring-Programs/CERT/Demonstrations.html

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area.  www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

How to Respond to an Initial Medicaid Audit Request

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Health Law

Florida healthcare providers servicing Medicaid patients are at a higher risk for audits than anywhere else in the country.  The unfortunate truth is that Florida has become synonymous with healthcare fraud.  As a result, auditing and subsequent overpayment demands are some very real possibilities.

Should you find yourself, your facility, or your health practice the subject of a Medicaid audit by your state Medicaid agency or audit contractor, there are a few things you should know.

The most important thing is that just because you are being audited, it does not mean that you or your business has done anything wrong.  State and federal governments conduct audits for many different reasons.  Typical ones include: special audits of high-fraud geographic areas, auditing of particular billing codes, randomly selected provider auditing, and complaints of possible fraud.

How to Know If You Are the Subject of an Audit.

An audit will usually begin with the provider receiving an initial audit request, usually by letter or fax.  This request will serve to notify the recipient that it is the subject of an audit.  The initial letter will not always identify the reason for the audit.  What it will contain, however, is a list of names and dates of service for which the auditors want to see copies of medical records and other documentation.

This stage of the process is crucial because it is the best opportunity to control the process.  Once the records are compiled and sent to the auditor, the process shifts and you are now going to have to dispute the auditor's findings in order to avoid a finding of overpayment.

The biggest mistake that someone who is the subject of an audit can make is to hastily copy only a portion of the available records and send them off for review.  The temptation is to think that since the records make sense to you, they will make sense to the auditor.  Remember, the auditor has never worked in your office and has no idea how the records are compiled and organized.  This is why it is so important to compile a thorough set of records that are presented in a clearly labeled and organized fashion that provide justification for every service or item billed.

Steps to Respond to an Initial Audit Request. 

The following are steps that you should take in order to compile and provide a set of records that will best serve to help you avoid any liability at the conclusion of the audit process:

1. Read the audit letter carefully and provide everything that it asks for.  It's always better to send too much documentation than too little.

2. If at all possible, compile the records yourself.  If you can't do this, have a compliance officer, experienced consultant, or experienced health attorney compile the records and handle any follow-up requests.

3. Pay attention to the deadlines.  If a deadline is approaching and the records are not going to be ready, contact the auditor and request an extension before it is  due.  Do this by telephone and follow up with a letter (not an e-mail).  Send the letter before the deadline.

4. Send a cover letter with the requested documents and records explaining what is included and how it is organized as well as who to contact if the auditors have any questions.

5. Number every page of the records sent from the first page to the last page of documents.

6. Make a copy of everything you send exactly as it is sent.  This way there are no valid questions later on as to whether a particular document was forwarded to the auditors.

 7. Send the response package using some form of package tracking or delivery confirmation to arrive before the deadline.

Compiling all of the necessary documentation in a useful manner can be an arduous task.  If you find that you cannot do it on your own, or that there are serious deficiencies in record keeping, it is recommended that you reach out to an attorney with experience in Medicaid auditing to assist you in the process.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Handling Medicaid and Medicare Audits.

The Health Law Firm's attorneys routinely represent physicians, medical groups, clinics, pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, home health agencies, nursing homes and other healthcare providers in Medicaid and Medicare investigations, audits and recovery actions.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: Lance O. Leider is an attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

CMS Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews Scheduled to Begin Summer 2012

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Recovery Audit Prepayment Review (RAPR) Demonstration Project is scheduled to begin on [stat.] June 1, 2012. However, the project was originally scheduled to begin January 1, 2012.

Claims with High Rates of Improper Billing will be Reviewed by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs).

The Recovery Audit Prepayment Review allows Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) to review claims before they are paid to ensure that the provider complied with all Medicare payment rules. The RACs will conduct prepayment reviews on certain types of claims that have been found to result in high rates of improper payments.

Certain States will be the Focus of This Initial Launch of Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews.

The Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews will focus on seven states with high populations of fraud-prone and error-prone providers. These states are California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, and Texas. The Recovery Audit Prepayment Reviews will also include four states with high claims volumes of short inpatient hospital stays. These states are Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Recovery Audit Prepayment Review Demonstration May Include More States in the Future.

CMS is expecting that the prepayment reviews will help lower error rates by preventing improper payments instead of searching for improper payments after they occur. If these reviews are successful, other states will be included in subsequent roll-outs of the Recovery Audit Prepayment Review Demonstration.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Handling Medicaid and Medicare Audits.

The Health Law Firm's attorneys routinely represent physicians, medical groups, clinics, pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, home health agencies, nursing homes and other healthcare providers in Medicaid and Medicare investigations, audits and recovery actions.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at http://www.thehealthlawfirm.com/.

Sources:

Reimbursement Management Consultants, Inc. "CMS Recovery Audit Prepayment Review Demonstration Project." Reimbursement Management Consultants, Inc. (Feb. 9, 2012). From:
http://rmcinc.org/word/?p=276

About the Author:  George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area.  http://www.thehealthlawfirm.com/  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.