Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Published on Mon Feb 14, 2011 PDF

Plus: Respond to CERT requests ASAP, MACs say.

When your practice hires a new physician, the job of training the doctor on healthcare compliance may fall to more than one person in your practice, including the office manager, compliance officer, coder, and fellow physicians. But that job may be a little bit easier now that the OIG has created a ready-made presentation that teaches new physicians how to steer clear of fraud.

The presentation, entitled, "Avoiding Medicare and Medicaid Fraud and Abuse," covers the five main areas of Medicare abuse: the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, Physician Self-Referral Statute, Exclusion Statute, and Civil Monetary Penalties Law.

For example, the PowerPoint presentation, which the OIG offers in a .pdf format, reminds new doctors that prohibited kickbacks include "cash for referrals, free rent for medical offices, and excessive compensation for medical directorships." It also reminds physicians that it's illegal to sell free samples, and that you should always consider gift reporting requirements when accepting gifts.

To read the entire presentation, along with a booklet for physicians' self-study regarding how to avoid Medicare and Medicaid fraud, visit http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/PhysicianEducation/.