Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Plus: HHS believes Medicare Trust Fund will stay solvent through 2029. Medical practices often hear conflicting advice regarding how long they must hang on to a patient's medical records, but CMS intends to clear up any misinformation with new MLN Matters article SE1022. Although many physicians follow state laws when determining whether they can discontinue retaining a patient's records, it's important to keep in mind that you must hang onto the patient's records for at least six years, according to HIPAA laws. If your state requires a period longer than that, you must extend the length of time to meet state laws, but six years is the federal minimum. "HIPAA administrative simplification rules require a covered entity, such as a physician billing Medicare, to retain required documentation for six years from the date of its creation or the date when it last was in effect, whichever is later," the MLN [...]