Step 1 of the 7 Mandated Steps to Becoming Medicare Compliant

Newsletter

February 13, 2012

Chiropractic Medicare

Step 1 of the 7 Mandated Steps

Dear Doctors and Staff,

With the negative reports from the office of the Inspector General in regards to the poor track record of Chiropractors "documenting" the Chiropractic necessity of care along with the high rate in billing Medicare claims, we now find ourselves having to deal with a "mandatory" Medicare Compliance Program.

To stop errors, fraud and abuse in Medicare, Chiropractors and staff are requested to begin the Medicare Compliance Program.  A step by step procedure with time lines for compliance and information regarding Electronic Health Records Incentive Program.

If you choose not to become Medicare Compliant, by the year 2014 you probably will not have any Medicare patients and will lose a large number of Insurance Company privileges.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are preparing to implement the combination of HIPAA, protecting personal health information, along with addressing the high error rates, fraud and abuse in Medicare.  In doing so, each provider is required to bill electronically using ICD-10 codes uploaded onto a server clearinghouse also compliant using 5010 software.

As you proceed through this process, keep aware of the time lines and testing necessary to get to the next step.  Consider the incentive to be successful in both financial and protective of you and your patient's personal health information.

Step 1 of the 7 Mandated Steps:

a.       Written Policies and Procedures.

b.      Developing a written Standards of Conduct.

c.       Written Duties and Responsibilities of Management by (Owner/Doctor).

d.      Compliance Officer, Essential Duties.

e.       Compliance Committee and Duties.

f.        Retention of Records and Information Systems, Policy, Information,   

                                                               i.      General Guidelines.

g.       Compliance Element Policy, Meeting and Managers Annual Performance

                                                               i.      Evaluation.

The GOOD NEWS is we have this all completed in our Chiropractic Medicare Compliance Book and CD. The CD contains all the policies, procedures, detailed compliance training, reporting systems, disciplinary guidelines and policies, corrective action and self-audit procedures.  Our Medicare Compliance CD is in both Publisher and Word docs, ready for your staff to download, review and personalize for your Medicare Compliance.

If you have questions, please give me a call 618-395-3162. ~Dr. Street