RAC groups battle provider plea for short-stay payment relief
By
John Hall
Feb 19, 2015
Third-party firms that audit Medicare bills for payment issues are pushing back hard against a hospital association plea for more favorable short-stay reimbursements, adding to the ongoing unwelcome specter...
Government asks for suggestions on how to reduce Medicare appeals backlog
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 05, 2014
The federal government is asking the public to suggest ways of reducing Medicare appeals and cutting down on a backlog at the administrative law judge level. The request for information was filed by the...
RACs return $100 million to providers, as criticism grows
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 01, 2014
Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors returned a record $100.4 million in identified underpayments to providers between April and June.
Report: Long-term care providers pay the price for CMS’ poor auditor oversight
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 14, 2014
Long-term care and other providers could be facing unfair burdens due to ineffective government oversight of Medicare auditors, according to a new report from a federal watchdog agency.
Long-term care providers would receive more education from auditors under draft Medicare bill
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 11, 2014
Medicare auditors would boost outreach and education efforts to long-term care and other providers under the provisions of a draft bill introduced Thursday by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), chairman of the Ways...
Medicare should pay for skilled nursing services without a qualifying hospital stay, experts tell Senators
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 31, 2014
The time has come to eliminate hospital stay requirements for beneficiaries to qualify for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing services, experts told a Senate committee Wednesday.
RACs returned a record $100 million to providers in the third quarter, CMS announces
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 14, 2014
Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors returned $100.4 million in underpayments to healthcare providers in the third quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced.
Senators blast Medicare audits, say RAC payments should be changed
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 10, 2014
The Medicare claims review process is unfairly burdening healthcare providers and failing to improve program integrity, due in part to the payment system for certain auditors, Senate leaders said during...
Cash-strapped feds to cut back Medicare oversight this year, OIG official says
By
Tim Mullaney
May 05, 2014
One of nursing homes’ most vigilant government watchdogs plans to dramatically curb its activities this year, a federal official has told the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health. The Department...
RACs were ‘most improved’ healthcare auditors for getting back money in 2013, government...
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 18, 2014
Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors dramatically stepped up their overpayment recoveries last year, returning nearly $487 million more to the government than they did in 2012, according to a new report...