As recovery audit contractors (RAC) begin to roll out complex reviews and request medical record documentation, compliant coding will continue to take center stage. And although correct coding is vital, sequencing codes is equally important because it affects MS-DRG assignment and payment.
CMS has once again contracted with the TMF Health Quality Institute to release Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Reports (PEPPER) data in 2010.
You receive a letter in the mail requesting copies of medical records for an audit. It looks much like the one you received the day before, but the return address is different. And they both look quite similar to the other request for documentation you received last week.
