Protect Yourself From RACs Through Your EHR System
By Greg Bengel, contributing writer
EHRs may help providers avoid RAC audits by maintaining a comprehensive record of physician activity
An interesting article from chiroeco.com says EHR systems can do a lot more than streamline a physician’s practice and help with data sharing. According to the article, an EHR system can protect physicians from being audited by RACs.
This should be welcome news to physicians across the country, who have long been bemoaning the RAC program and its intensity in recovering Medicare payments. Health IT Outcomes previously reported on the excessive burden that RACs put on legitimate providers as they deny many legitimate claims. One provider in particular notably labeled RACs “bounty hunters," and their auditing process “highway robbery.”
Chiroeco.com agrees; “Recovery audit contractor programs operate under the premise you’ve made a mistake somehow,” and explains that RACs look for overpayment errors, problems with coding, and documentation inconsistencies.
How do EHRs help? “Anything you can do to avoid the “scent” of impropriety by fully documenting your practices in this respect is going to save you time, money and heartache. EHRs are an efficient way to minimize error and maintain a comprehensive record of all your activity,” the article explains.
The article is full of good, actionable information. For instance, it explains that when RACs look down their list of items for an audit, billing practice errors seem the most costly. “You can make sure to avoid an audit by paying particular attention to how you document your time. Also, clearly illustrate the coding difference between exams or treatments,” the article advises. “Practitioners sometimes mistakenly bill twice for a treatment that should have been coded only once, for example. EHRs help you minimize and even avoid monitoring and rounding errors.”
Also, the article reminds that effective EHR systems must accurately reflect current patient care status. “Help yourself avoid an RAC visit, customize specific care notes and avoid too many template based components,” the article advises, warning that overly automated features are often problematic.
The article rightly points out that “nothing replaces the practitioner’s personal knowledge of his or her EHR’s capabilities.” It warns: “You must remain vigilant in understanding your particular system’s functions and capabilities and take care to customize EHR templates as needed to accurately reflect each patient’s care situation. Do this and you’re well on your way to preparing for – and even possibly avoiding – the occasional potential for an RAC audit in your chiropractic practice. And that means a healthier practice for you.”