Recovery
Audit Contractors Program (RAC) is the new Medicare program that
sends independent auditors to provider facilities, including clinical
labs and pathology groups. These auditors are out to recover an
estimated $24 billion a year resulting from abuse, fraud, and
reimbursement problems that have plagued the system for years.
How ready
is your lab is for a RAC audit? Probably not very, which leaves
you vulnerable when the first letter arrives from an auditor.
That’s because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) have designated four independent companies to conduct RAC
audits, and they’ll have surprising powers to view your
source documentation.
So what steps
can you take now to prepare your lab for a RAC audit? What are
your rights during an audit? And how can you effectively challenge
and appeal the results of a RAC audit?
Get answers
to these questions and more when you register to attend the latest
Dark Report and DarkDaily.com audio conference on Wednesday, July
20, 2011. Listen as two experts help you prepare your lab for
an RAC audit—and how to minimize its impact.
CMS admits
that most overpayments are caused by errors and omissions rather
than fraud or abuse—many the result of incorrect coding
or insufficient documentation. Still, it’s important to
take steps now to fully understand the impact of a RAC audit,
and what you can do to ensure that proper procedures are in place
to reduce risk and limit your lab’s exposure.
In 90 minutes,
you’ll get advice on surviving a RAC audit from the following
two experts:
First, Jane Pine Wood, a health-law attorney
who specializes in regulatory and compliance issues, provides
critical details about the RAC audit program: what it is, how
audits are performed, what areas are at risk of being audited,
and more. She’ll walk you through the process, starting
the moment your lab is notified it’s about to be audited.
Using case-study examples, Ms. Wood will explain the procedures
your lab should follow when responding to a RAC audit.
Our second speaker, Tom Rehwald, CFO at InCyte
Pathology LLC, will share what happened when a RAC audit was conducted
at his lab. He’ll provide the practical insights and lessons-learned
that come from taking part in an actual audit. Find out how you
can stay one step ahead of the auditors. Get a better understanding
of the process, including the potential pitfalls you’ll
need to watch out for when responding to the results of your audit.
In sports,
they say the best defense is a good offense and that definitely
applies when it comes to RAC audits. Taking steps now to identify
and resolve potential problems before you’re audited can
substantially reduce your risk of the auditors finding anything
wrong.
Register
today and get the best, most up-to-date information on how
to prepare your lab for a RAC audit. Find out how to make risk
assessment of your lab’s coding, billing and collections
processes an ongoing part of your compliance activities. And how
improving them can help you avoid future problems.
Finally, the
results of an audit aren’t set in stone so don’t be
afraid to challenge them, say our experts. One Florida lab appealed
overpayments found during their RAC audit and was able to overturn
almost 25% of them. In this session, you’ll find out how
to decide whether an appeal makes sense, and if so, what steps
your lab can take to contest the results of an audit.
This
is a terrific opportunity for you and your management team to
come up to speed on preparing for a RAC audit. Find out how to
resolve noncompliance and overpayment issues before you’re
hit with an audit.
And
don’t forget: You can have everyone on your lab team
participate with you. For just one registration, you can all listen,
learn, and get personalized answers to questions about your lab’s
unique needs. Register now to guarantee your participation.
THE
DARK REPORT AUDIO CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE
DATE:
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
TIME: 1 p.m. EDT; 12 p.m. CDT; 11 a.m. MDT; 10
a.m. PDT
PLACE: Your telephone or speakerphone
COST: $195 per dial-in site (unlimited attendance
per site) through 7/8/11; $245 thereafter
TO REGISTER:Click
here or call 1-800-560-6363 toll-free
The
difference between a redetermination letter and reconsideration
request, and what could happen if you mix up the two.
The do’s and don’ts of crafting a redetermination
letter to correct possible errors in your audit.
Key steps for meeting compliance recommendations.
The documentation that best supports the claims you submit to
Medicare.
How
to prepare for an audit if you use a third-party billing service.
How
your lab can use the RAC experience to better educate staff
and avoid future compliance and overpayment issues.
The
parallel strategies for attacking a RAC audit, including political
action, that your lab should consider implementing.
…and
much more!
How
to Register:
1. Online
2. Call toll free: 800-560-6363. Your
audio conference registration includes:
A
site license to attend the conference (invite as many people
as you can fit around your speakerphone at no extra charge)
Downloadable
PowerPoint presentations from our speakers
A
full transcript emailed to you soon after the conference
The
opportunity to connect directly with our speaker during the
audience Q&A session
Register
Now!Or for more information,
call us toll-free at 800-560-6363.
Distinguished Faculty:
Jane
Pine Wood is a member of McDonald Hopkins,
LLC which specializes in health law, including regulatory,
compliance, and contractual matters, as well as Medicaid
and Medicare reimbursement issues. Ms. Wood represents
physicians, hospitals, clinical and anatomic laboratories,
imaging centers, home health agencies, mental health
providers, clinics, independent practice associations
and integrated delivery systems in corporate, regulatory,
reimbursement, contractual and other areas. She received
her J.D. degree in 1987 from Vanderbilt University School
of Law and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts,
Ohio and Tennessee.
Tom
Rehwald, CPA, has been Chief Financial Officer
for InCyte Pathology, PS since 2007. He has been involved
in healthcare finance and administration for more than
26 years, with experience that runs the full spectrum
of a healthcare systems continuum of care. Prior to
his current position, he was the CFO at Spokane Ear,
Nose, & Throat Clinic and was CFO at Pathology Associates
Medical Laboratories. He also held several positions
at Providence Health Care/Sacred Heart Medical Center,
including Director of Patient Accounts. He graduated
Summa Cum Laude from San Diego State University with
a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration
with an emphasis in accounting.
ACCENT®
Continuing Education Credit
The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) designates
this program for a maximum of 1.5 ACCENT® credit hours towards
the AACC Clinical Chemist’s Recognition Award. AACC is an
approved provider of continuing education for clinical laboratory
scientists in the states of California, Florida, Louisiana, Montana,
Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
Jane
Pine Wood
Tom
Rehwald