A CMS fact sheet reminds providers to brush up on their MIPS knowledge in regard to the quality performance category. This performance category is worth 50% of providers’ final MIPS score for 2018, and providers who demonstrate improvement from their performance in the category in 2017 could earn bonus points this year.
Organizations are generally keeping up due diligence when it comes to HIPAA compliance training and essential auditing, despite an increasingly challenging array of threats directed at them. However, confusion still holds sway on risk analysis and more robust audit functions.
Many hospitals find that their Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) ratios remain high despite doing a spectacular job of addressing these events and exclusions. That may be because they fail to realize that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a risk-adjustment methodology that predicts each of these PSIs and is dependent upon the documentation and coding of PSI-sensitive risk factors.
Preventive care is an essential component of rural health clinic services, but Medicare's coverage and billing rules for these services—including annual exams and vaccines—can be complicated to navigate.
In today’s uncertain regulatory environment, establishing an internal audit process is more important than ever to ensure proper billing and reimbursement. Follow these eight steps to establish an efficient internal audit and compliance program.
Cardiac device credits came under scrutiny in an Office of Inspector General report that found all 210 hospitals audited failed to adjust claims to reflect certain cardiac device manufacturer credits, leading to $4.4 million in overpayments from CMS.
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.
Coding and documentation can make or break providers’ success under the Quality Payment Program. An examination of specific measures reveals coding and documentation areas to focus on.
Electronic health records fall short of early promises that they would reduce administrative costs, a recent study found. The cost of completing insurance- and billing-related activities in the EHR can represent more than a quarter of professional reimbursement for an emergency department visit.
