In March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began conducting prepayment Meaningful Use audits that will affect between 5% and 10% of attesting eligible professionals (EPs). Unfortunately, being selected for one of these audits means a delay in incentive payments until after the process is complete.
If you’re one of the lucky ones who aren’t selected for a prepayment audit, you may not be out of the woods quite yet.
CMS also conducts post-payment Meaningful Use audits for an additional 5% to 10% of EPs. So although you received an incentive payment, it could be taken away.
With the chance of being reviewed in some form essentially doubling, it’s important to know as much as possible about Meaningful Use audits.
Here are some quick Meaningful Use audit tidbits to get you up to speed:
- Providers selected for an audit will receive a notification via email from CMS-selected auditor Figliozzi and Company
- The primary documentation requested during the auditing process are the same source documents used to complete the attestation
- CMS suggests keeping supporting documentation on hand for six years after attestation
- Though a majority of audit cases will not require it, an on-site review at the EP’s location may be necessary for certain situations
- CMS may seek penalties against providers it deems to have attested fraudulently
“Some audits are totally random but some are generated by the presence of unlikely data provided during the attestation,” said Jim Tate, President of EMR Advocate, Inc.
Renowned for his knowledge on Meaningful Use, Tate is going to help you avoid being audited in Thursday’s webinar: Meaningful Use Incentives: How to Avoid and Survive Audits.
As for preparing for an audit, Tate said, “One of the most misunderstood requirements is the Security Risk Analysis… The auditors will want to see your Security Risk Analysis documentation.”
In addition to providing other essential tips and insights, Tate will be sharing stories from the industry and providing an in-depth analysis of the basics of Meaningful Use audits.
Don’t take your chances and assume you won’t be selected for an audit. The odds aren’t that friendly. The best offense is a good defense, so be prepared for a potential Meaningful Use audit before receiving that dreaded audit notification letter.
Do you know what you need when setting up a new medical practice?