decisionhealth Newsletters, Part B News - 2020 Issue 3 (March)
OIG will check urine drug tests for substance use disorder patients
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This compliance-oriented article discusses an OIG Work Plan item affecting practices that treat substance use disorders and bill for urine drug testing. It outlines the audit focus, the types of documentation and coverage considerations practices should be aware of, and the general differences between presumptive and definitive testing in the context of Medicare billing oversight. The piece is intended for coders, billing staff, compliance teams, and behavioral health or laboratory practices that report urine drug testing services.
Why This Topic Matters
The article matters because it flags a government review area with elevated billing error risk and highlights the need for documentation, coverage awareness, and correct test reporting in substance use disorder care.
Article Sections
-
Compliance
Introduces the OIG Work Plan focus on urine drug testing claims for substance use disorder patients and the compliance concerns behind the review. It also references Medicare audit attention and coverage-related considerations.
-
Presumptive drug tests
Discusses presumptive testing at a broad level, including the role of instrument-based analysis and billing-related considerations tied to this type of service.
-
Definitive drug tests
Reviews definitive testing at a general level and notes the documentation and laboratory capability concerns associated with auditor review.
What You Will Learn
- Why the OIG added urine drug testing for substance use disorder patients to its Work Plan
- What general compliance issues are associated with urine drug testing claims
- How the article distinguishes presumptive testing from definitive testing at a high level
- What kinds of documentation and coverage topics practices should be prepared to support during review
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Behavioral health practices
- Laboratory billing staff
- Practice managers
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com