Posted on Monday, February 9, 2015 2:27 PM
CMS is developing a pilot program to determine how many Medicare fraud cases are taking place in home health agencies. A contractor search is currently underway to help implement the new initiative. Many Medicare fraud experts are commending the endeavor, believing the move to be positive in an industry with long-standing allegations of fraud. Between 2010 and 2014, there were nearly $1 billion in improper Medicare payments and fraud identified relating to the home health benefit, according to the OIG. Statistically valid estimates of the rate of fraud in Medicare does not currently exist for home health agencies. The new contractor will focus on developing a methodology to estimate the extent of probable fraud of home health agencies in the Medicare fee-for-service program. The initial pilot will focus on agencies in Florida, which accounted for $2.1 billion of total Medicare home health spending in 2013. Contractors will begin by reviewing 130 home health claims in the Miami-Dade County area. As part of the review process, the contractor will interview beneficiaries and their medical providers and make unannounced visits to the offices of onsite home health agencies. Any formed methodology is expected to be replicated later for a larger, nationwide program. CMS hopes the new initiative will help it better allocate its resources. Click here to read more.
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