Medicare auditors can request twice as many SNF medical records

Medicare recovery audit contractors (RACs) can now request twice as many resident medical records than previously allowed, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

As of March 15, RACs can now ask skilled nursing facilities to provide up to 2% of all Medicare claims submitted in the prior calendar year, divided by 8, CMS said in a notice. Previously, auditors could only request 1% of records.

In response to a RAC's request for documentation, skilled nursing facilities must provide documentation for all claims related with a beneficiary's episode of care. That includes medical records for all services rendered from the date of admission to the final date of discharge.

What's more, CMS has the authority to allow RACs to exceed their 2%-limit.

Click here to read CMS' notice.