Incorrect inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) claims led to $444,458 in overpayments at Memorial University Medical Center, a Savannah, Georgia-based hospital, according to a recent Office of Inspector General audit report. IRF billing compliance has been on the OIG’s radar for several years, and Medicare Administrative Contractors and supplemental medical review contractors have been placing these claims under increased scrutiny.
In the current healthcare climate, the issue of medical necessity documentation, or lack thereof, is one of the most common reasons for claim denials. For a service to be considered medically necessary (by a third-party payer), it must be considered a reasonable and necessary service to diagnose and/or treat a patient’s current and/or chronic medical condition.
This week’s Medicare updates include two compliance reviews from the Office of Inspector General, an enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapy, clarification of instructions for medical reviews of inpatient rehabilitation facility claims, and more!
Revenue cycle leaders can fall into a trap of merely managing problems that pop up. But the danger with a “fix it” approach is that so many of the challenges in revenue cycle are connected.
This week’s note explores the newly expanded national targeted probe and educate initiative with a focus on how processes for the program should work and what providers can do to simplify the review period.
This week’s Medicare updates include a fact sheet on the transition to new Medicare cards, a table to clarify alternative payment models’ statuses in the Quality Payment Program, a review of a health system’s compliance with inpatient rehabilitation facility service billing requirements, and more!
