Here are the top five ways hospitals are doing so:
1. conducting internal audits (77 percent);
2. implementing a documentation improvement plan (66 percent);
3. creating a special task force to examine documentation, coding and billing (57 percent);
4. installing new software to capture correct documentation, coding and billing (33 percent); and
5. hiring additional coders (18 percent).
Of the HIM directors familiar with the RAC program, only 5 percent
believe it will have a positive financial impact on their facility due
to recovery of funds from Medicare underpayments. Rather, 88 percent
either anticipate a negative financial impact due to their facilities
owing funds for Medicare overpayments (40 percent), or anticipate their
facility will come out about even (48 percent).
Renaissance Research conducted the national survey of 175 hospital HIM
directors on behalf of ProVation Medical. Learn more about ProVation.
Read more about CMS’s RAC program.
