Survey: Non-Profit Hospitals Undergo More Audits Than For-Profits

Molly Gamble (Twitter) -
Non-profit healthcare providers are undergoing more governmental audits than their for-profit counterparts, according to a survey from the Health Care Compliance Association.

The survey found that a hospital with a non-profit status with more than 5,000 employees is likely to face audits in greater frequency and number. Here are some key findings from the survey, which was administered in April:

• Non-profits are experiencing a "heavier load" of audits. Forty-two percent of non-profit organizations reported being audited by two different agencies for the same potential problem, compared with 25 percent of for-profits.

• Medicare RAC audits were most common, with 47 percent of all entities reporting at least one. On average, for-profits reported less than four within the past 12 months, whereas non-profits reported more than six.

• Larger organizations were more likely to be audited than smaller ones — 76 percent of respondents from organizations with 5,000 or more employees reported at least one RAC audit compared with 30 percent of organizations with 250 or fewer employees.

• For-profits are more likely to have dedicated audit staff, as 54 for-profit respondents, compared with 44 non-profits, have staff prepared to respond to outside audits. Both sectors, however, reported similar staffing levels.

More Articles on Hospitals and Audits:

5 Cornerstones of a Culture of Compliance for Hospitals
10 Best Practices for Hospitals to Prepare for, Respond to Recovery Audit Contractors
25 Statistics on Hospitals and RAC Audits


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