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Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

In other news…

Published on Thu Nov 29, 2012 Print Friendly and PDF PDF

Medicare may be cutting back on payments for some of your services, but the OIG has found additional ways to save money by recouping billions from medical practices nationwide. According to the OIG's 2012 Semiannual Report, which covers the six month period from April through Sept. 30, 2012, the government recovered about $6.9 billion in Fiscal Year 2012.

That figure includes $923.8 million in audit receivables and $6 billion in investigative receivables. Plus, the agency identified another $8.5 billion in savings resulting from legislative, regulatory, or administrative actions that were supported by the OIG's recommendations, the Report indicates.

For instance, the OIG identified a coding trend in which E/M service levels rose significantly. Between 2001 and 2010, payments for E/M services increased by 48 percent , vs. 43 percent for Part B goods and services in general. As a result, the OIG advised Medicare contractors to review physicians' billing for E/M services, educate physicians on proper billing for these services, and to review physicians who bill higher-level E/M services.

To read the OIG's Semiannual Report, visit https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/archives/semiannual/2012/fall/sar-f12-fulltext.pdf.  

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