Audits: RACs Corrected Over $92 Million in Improper Payments Last Year

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps readers understand where Medicare payment reviews were concentrating and why practices may be at risk for audit findings. It also highlights the broader compliance significance of underpayments and overpayments in the recovery audit process.

Article Sections

1. CMS report overview

   Introduces the CMS report and summarizes the scope of recovery audit contractor activity during the reporting period.

2. Payment correction totals and context

   Describes the overall amounts identified as improper payments and explains the broader program context for these findings.

3. How RAC incentives are described

   Explains the article’s discussion of how recovery audit contractor compensation relates to identified payment errors.

4. Areas where RACs identified issues

   Provides a high-level look at the categories of claims and billing situations flagged by RACs in the report.

5. Specific issue categories noted in the report

   Summarizes the broad types of inpatient and billing scenarios highlighted as problem areas, including service duration, diagnosis coding, and separately billed items.