Prepayment Review and the ADRs

Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs) and Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) have continued to focus on prepayment review. Unlike with post-payment audits, there is very little a provider placed on prepayment review can do to identify and remedy noted deficiencies. Prepayment audits have grave consequences for healthcare providers, as we’ve written previously . Often times, the result of a prepayment audit is that a provider will be placed on prepayment review for up to a year with little or no notice and no concrete way of getting out of the review.

Notice of Prepayment Review

A peril of prepayment review is that MACs and ZPICs do not typically inform providers before they are placed on prepayment audit.  In rare cases, we have seen providers get a letter from the MAC, which informs the provider they are on prepayment review and that they should anticipate Additional Documentation Requests (ADR) soon.  Most of the time, a provider finds out it has been placed on prepayment review only after receiving the ADR. A provider may be subject to an unannounced visit from the MAC or ZPIC, who will be looking for additional documentation.  This lack of notice often takes providers by surprise.  Unfortunately, sometimes the mere allegation of fraud leads to prepayment review, which sometimes harms innocent providers. Last year in New Mexico, fifteen behavioral health care providers were put on prepayment review based on “credible allegations of fraud.”  Below is an interactive presentation outlining the ADR process (note: the outline focuses on CGS ADRs, but the information is useful for all other MACs)

Cost of Prepayment Review

Prepayment review is expensive for providers because claim determinations are made after the provider has already performed services, but before any claim payment is made.  Once an Additional Documentation Request (ADR) is received for a particular claim, providers are tasked with compiling information and justifying that specific treatment date.  CMS requires all pertinent records on that specific patient, not just the date under review, to not only justify the claim as billed, but also demonstrate medical necessity in general. Once receiving the ADR documentation, the MAC has 30 days to review the materials and make a decision on the status of the claim (60 days if the ADR is for third party Liability).[1]  Only once the claim has been reviewed will the provider receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from its ZPIC or MAC.   As explained in detail in the above presentation, the claim is either allowed, partially allowed, denied, or marked as having illegible/absent signatures.  The previously referenced New Mexico Behavioral Health providers had their Medicaid reimbursements suspended during prepayment review and could not afford to pay their staff, rent, or other bills. They tried suing the state, seeking an injunction that would restore funding. The providers argued that they had been denied due process by not being told what the precise charges were against them, and that at the end of the day those suffering the most were their patients. They were denied the injunction

The Prepayment Review Solution

Upon receiving notice of prepayment review, providers often scramble for a solution, but there is no escaping the tedious process required to be released from prepayment review.  Once every ADR is received and responded to, it is incumbent on the provider to seize this opportunity to improve their business.  Prepayment reviews and ADRs are not randomly assigned, there are complex formulas and red flags that determine whether a provider is at risk for being placed under review.  We recommend an on-site gap analysis performed by experts, a thorough review of the entire practice, and a complete compliance plan tailored to your practice’s exact requirements.  While performing these tasks after receiving ADRs can go a long way to prevent further action, taking these crucial steps before an audit greatly improves your chances of quickly escaping prepayment review.  Call us toll-free at 1-800-475-1906 to discuss any aspects of prepayment review and MAC/ZPIC

 

Robert W. Liles, Esq., serves as Managing Partner at Liles Parker, Attorneys & Counselors at Law.  Liles Parker attorneys represent health care providers around the country in connection with both regulatory and transactional legal projects. For a free consultation, call Robert at (800) 475-1906.

 

 

[1] http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/pim83c03.pdf

Medicare Overpayment Demands: The Financial Timeline and Options

The process of Medicare contractors – such as Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPIC) and Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) – issuing adverse medical review findings and Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC) subsequently demanding repayment of alleged overpayments can be very daunting for providers. This is particularly true when Medicare contractors employ statistical sampling methodologies which expand overpayment sums to a designated universe of claims beyond just the actual claims reviewed. A few thousand dollars worth of claims suddenly becomes tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. In many instances, providers will choose to appeal adverse determinations, ready to defend the good faith provision of services based on the medical needs of its patients. Understanding the financial implications and timeline of an overpayment assessment is hugely important. Should the provider pay the overpayment up front? If the provider can’t pay the overpayment sum immediately, how can it work with Medicare to repay the sum in a financially feasible manner? What if the provider doesn’t want to repay the overpayment – what steps will Medicare take?  These questions are best addressed in reverse order.

I.  Recoupment: Short-term Strategies for Delaying

Medicare expects providers to repay any overpayment as quickly as possible. If Medicare does not receive payment within 40 calendar days from the date of the MAC’s first demand letter, Medicare will recoup the full overpayment amount beginning on day 41, meaning the overpayment will be recovered from current payments due or from future claims submitted. There are multiple ways to delay recoupment, including by submitting a rebuttal to your MAC within 15 days of the initial demand letter (no guarantee) and filing appeal requests for the first two levels of appeal within specified time frames. Specifically, a provider must file the first level appeal – called the redetermination level – within 30 days of the initial demand letter to prevent recoupment through the time that a redetermination decision issues. If the redetermination decision is unfavorable, the provider must file the second level appeal – called the reconsideration level – within 60 days of the redetermination decision. If the reconsideration decision is also unfavorable, Medicare will initiate recoupment 30 days after the reconsideration decision is issued. If the reconsideration is partially favorable, and the overpayment sum requires recalculation, recoupment will begin 30 days after the recalculated demand.

It is important for providers to understand that even while recoupment is stalled, interest accrues starting with the date of the initial demand letter and is assessed every 30 days thereafter. While capitalization does not occur, the interest rate is quite high, at 10.50% as of January 21, 2015. Even if a provider is successful at postponing recoupment, the reality is that if a provider is at all unsuccessful through the first two levels of the Medicare administrative appeals process, recoupment will begin if the provider does not repay the overpayment and the provider likely must wait years to have a hearing scheduled before an Administrative Law Judge. Given that interest accrues and recoupment delay measures are really a short-term strategy, providers should use these tactics to buy time for serious financial planning. If a provider can repay some or all of the overpayment upon demand, the provider can lower or prevent the interest penalty, not to mention control the repayment process.

II.  Extended Repayment Schedule or Cede to Recoupment?

A provider can set up an Extended Repayment Schedule (ERS) at any time once the first demand is made. If an unfavorable reconsideration decision is issued and the provider has not repaid the overpayment or established an ERS, the provider has two choices: allow Medicare to recoup or request an ERS. As long as a provider continues to appeal, Medicare cannot refer the debt to the Department of Treasury. Interest continues to accrue during recoupment and recoupment can be devastating to a provider whose payer mix is heavily weighted toward Medicare, effectively halting income. If an ERS is put into place, interest accrual ceases. Medicare also takes into consideration the financial hardship that an overpayment debt obligation imposes on a provider, and depending on whether the debt imposes a “hardship” or an “extreme hardship” on a provider, the ERS can be as long as 60 months. For a provider who is not a sole proprietor, the ERS application process can be tedious. The list of documents needed to support financial hardship is extensive, including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and lists of restricted cash funds, investments, and notes and mortgages payable. If a provider cannot establish genuine hardship, an ERS will be rejected or modified to reflect what Medicare believes is an appropriate repayment schedule based on the provider’s financials. Any repayments made under an ERS do not accrue interest in favor of the provider, if the provider is successful at reducing or eliminating the overpayment upon appeal; likewise, interest does not accrue in favor of Medicare either.

III.  Controlling the Overpayment: Paying the Overpayment Upon Demand

If a provider is able to repay some or all of the overpayment upon demand, the provider has better control over the repayment process during the administrative appeals process, even if the provider adamantly disagrees with the overpayment assessment. The provider can avoid or limit recoupment and interest accrual. The provider will get its money back if it wins on appeal, though not with interest. Of course, if the provider does not win, Medicare keeps the money.

It is important for providers to understand the financial landscape of an overpayment demand. A provider familiar with the recoupment timeline and repayment options can immediately assess its finances and determine the best strategy for addressing the alleged overpayment during the administrative appeals process.

Do you have the policies and procedures in place to effectively deal with a Medicare Recoupment?  Have you received correspondence from a ZPIC or RAC auditor and have delayed responding?

CONTACT US for a free consultation on these ZPIC issues.

Lorraine Ater, Esq. is a health law attorney with the boutique firm, Liles Parker, Attorneys & Counselors at Law.  Liles Parker has offices in Washington DC, Houston TX, McAllen TX and Baton Rouge LA.  Our attorneys represent health care professionals around the country in connection with government audits of Medicaid and Medicare claims, licensure matters and transactional projects.  Need assistance?  For a free consultation, please call: 1 (800) 475-1906.

 

OIG Cautions About ZPIC Conflict of Interest

From LilesParker.com

ZPICs Have Conflict of Interest

HHS-OIG recently released a report concerning the professional independence of CMS contractors. Specifically, OIG identified that several organizations serving as Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs) had conflicts of interest, whereby the ZPIC “could be in the position of evaluating work performed or associated with its own company.” For instance, one ZPIC’s parent company had a contract with a Medicare Part D plan sponsor to provide technological implementation and operations. Another ZPIC’s parent company owned Medicare Part C and D plans which were at work throughout the country. Another ZPIC applicant’s parent company was also a Medicare Part C and D plan sponsor in the zones for which the ZPIC had submitted a proposal. Thus, each ZPIC could be put in the position of having to evaluate its work or the work of its parent organization.

Nevertheless, OIG found that each one of these potential conflicts had in some way been “mitigated.” This is done through screening processes and other techniques, by which those who bid on government contracts and perform the actual auditing duties of the ZPIC are not the same as those administer the company’s (or parent company’s) other programs. We’ve previously discussed some of the Medicaid contractors for various “hot-spot” cities, such as Baton Rouge and Houston, and you might find it interesting to note that a lot of Medicaid claims processing contractors or benefit integrity contractors are companies like Xerox (ACS) and HP (the same companies that you get copiers and computers from). Many of these large conglomerates have found that securing a bid for a Medicare or Medicaid contract can be a lucrative business, but because they are so large, there are often conflicts between the various divisions.

Looking specifically at OIG’s report, the report itself does not name names. It does not identify which companies specifically had conflicts, but does instead note that two of the five ZPIC contracts currently awarded have actual conflicts of interest. This can be a scary thought: what kinds of incentives do the people reviewing my claims for payment or denial have? Could they deny my claims because I’m in a certain state or region, but pay similar claims so that their claims processing department has better numbers? Well, it’s possible – but not probable. 

Effects on ZPIC Claim Review

At the end of the day, a ZPIC is a ZPIC and a RAC is a RAC. These Medicare contractors are designed to identify problematic claims, review them with a critical eye, and deny them if they don’t meet stringent technical and medical requirements. The simple fact that the ZPIC’s parent company owns other health care operations is probably not enough to affect the judgment of individual auditors. These auditors, anyway, are already looking for a reason to deny a claim. In fact, we have been in many situations when denial of 100% of a sample was not uncommon. ZPICs often cite multiple reasons for denying a claim when they update a provider on the results of the review, usually relying on both a technical aspect (missing signature/legibility) and a medical aspect (medically unnecessary service/documentation does not support the level billed). It’s been our experience that a strong and all-encompassing approach when appealing these denials is important.

CMS Changes to ZPIC Bidding

In any regard, the OIG’s report came down hard on CMS for failing to adequately screen ZPICs and their subcontractors before awarding them contracts, noting that, “[c]urrently, CMS does not use a written policy or standard checklist to facilitate its review of Organizational Conflict of Interest Certificates. In addition, we found no documentation showing that CMS conducted a review of some offerors’ and subcontractors’ certificates. In some cases, even after CMS had requested revised certificates, required conflict and financial interest information was still missing.” In other words, CMS ignored a number of its duties in pre-screening ZPICs for possible and actual conflicts. As a result, OIG recommended that CMS develop more formal policies and procedures for reviewing conflict of interest problems and that CMS require bidders to more thoroughly note any actual or potential conflicts.

Robert Liles represents providers in Medicare post-payment audits and appeals, and similar appeals under Medicaid. In addition, Robert counsels clients on regulatory compliance issues, performs gap analyses and internal reviews, and trains healthcare professionals on various legal issues. For a free consultation, call Robert today at 1-800-475-1906.

5 Fundamental Medicare Compliance Concepts

Introduction to Medicare Compliance

There are “rules of life” we have learned that can really bring certain essential Medicare compliance concepts into focus. While perhaps cliché, these sayings and principles can be quite helpful when explaining fundamental Medicare compliance concepts to new staff or non-compliance personnel.  These 5 essential Medicare compliance concepts include:

(1)  “If it isn’t yours, give it back” 

Sound familiar? This is one of the first principles we are taught as children.  Nevertheless, it is as true today as it was back then.  Medicare providers have a legal obligation to promptly return any overpayments identified. In fact, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, it is now a requirement that providers return Medicare overpayments to the government within 60 days of identification or face significant liability under the False Claims Act.

While the prompt, mandatory return of a known overpayment is clearly required, we were recently asked about a provider’s obligations when it comes to less clear potential overpayments.  For example, suppose that a provider identifies a specific claim that was improperly submitted and paid by Medicare.  When reviewing how the overpayment occurred, the provider also learns that a former employee mistakenly believed that a certain service was covered by Medicare.  While the provider may only have evidence that a single claim was improperly submitted and paid by Medicare, the provider may suspect that the former employee may have incorrectly handled similar claims.  The issue therefore becomes whether a provider has an obligation to further investigate and determine whether other, unconfirmed overpayments may exist.  In considering this issue in furtherance of Medicare compliance, we believe that the general principle still applies, regardless of the fact that the exact language of ACA may not cover this situation.  Remain unconvinced?  In addition to being the ethical and right action to take, it is important to keep in mind that even if the 60-day repayment provisions of the ACA may not apply (although CMS may believe differently), a provider who turns a blind eye to potential overpayments is possibly exposing the practice to a whistleblower suit under the False Claims Act. Do you know of a potential overpayment?  More than likely, someone else in your practice is also aware of the problem. The bottom line is simple – “If it isn’t yours, give it back”. 

(2)  “Participation in the Medicare program is a privilege, not a right.”

Remember taking driver’s education in high school?  I still remember my driver’s education teacher repeatedly reminding us that we did not have a right to have a driver’s license.  Rather, it was a privilege – a privilege that could be taken away as quickly as it was granted if we failed to follow the laws of the State and the rules of the road.  Frankly, Medicare compliance is no different.  Health care providers do not have a right to participate in the Medicare program.  It is a privilege that must be earned and maintained.  Should a provider fail in their Medicare compliance activities, this privilege can be taken away.  With this in mind, providers must actively work to better ensure that their  Medicare compliance initiatives meet Medicare’s coding and billing requirements. Should they not fully understand the program’s guidelines, it is the provider’s responsibility to learn Medicare’s rules and ensure that the provider’s business practices fully comply with the program’s provisions.

(3)  “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”  

Physicians, small group practices and clinics should exercise caution when dealing with ‘consultants’ or ‘experts’ who boast of guaranteed increases in revenues or profits.  Unfortunately, many providers are dealing with steady declines in both Federal and private payor reimbursement rates.  In the current economy, unemployment rates have remained high and many patients are having a difficult time meeting their financial obligations.  In this environment, the promises of “innovative” business models or ways to modify a provider’s billing practices which will significantly increase revenues can be tempting to a provider experiencing financial difficulties.  Have you been approached by someone with a “deal” which sounds too good to be true?  Check out HHS-OIG’s “Fraud Alert” titled “Special Advisory Bulletin: Practices of Business Consultants.”  While published a decade ago, the lessons and concerns discussed in the bulletin are as current today as they were a decade ago.  And remember – the adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” is especially true when it comes to health care business opportunities.

(4)  “Everyone does it, so it must be okay.”

In years past, a number of drug companies and medical device companies played fast and loose with Medicare’s rules, showering physicians with lavish gifts, inviting them to attend paid vacations and entering into sham “advisory” or “consulting” agreements which paid the physicians regular stipends for little, if any, work.  Why did these companies engage in these practices?  In many instances, the companies wanted to influence the physicians’ decision-making when it came time to prescribe certain drug or order medical devices for their patients. These actions amount to kickbacks – plain and simple.  Today, drug and medical device industry representatives have made great strides in educating their members to eliminate these illegal practices.  At the height of these practices, many physicians appeared to take the position that since their peers accepted kickbacks, it must be okay.  Clearly, this mindset is just flat wrong.

Unfortunately, it isn’t limited to drug and medical device companies. Generally, physicians should exercise care before accepting any thing of value from a company or clinical practice with whom the physician works – especially when the physician either makes referrals to the company or prescribes items or devices sold by that company to their patients.  In considering this issue, it is often helpful to ask, “Where do I send my referrals?” Additionally, ask yourself, “Who refers patients to me?” Once answered, these business relationships should be carefully reviewed to ensure that there are no transactions that could give even the appearance of being improper. A typical example which repeatedly arises involves the use of “Medical Director” agreements where a physician is paid a monthly stipend which exceeds the fair market value of any services which are provided under the agreement. This is an important area in Medicare compliance, as it also implicates potential criminal activities.

(5)  “Neatness and accuracy count.”   

We represent a wide variety of health care providers when responding to Medicare post-payment audits conducted by ZPICs and other Medicare contractors. Over the last two years, we have noted a significant increase in the number of claims being denied because medical documentation is either illegible or incomplete. From a Medicare compliance standpoint, these problems are among the easiest for a provider to remedy.

Handwritten Portions of a Medical Record Must be Legible – When assessing denial reasons cited by ZPICs, our attorneys are often required to go through medical records as we assemble responsive arguments in support of payment.  More often than not, we don’t have any problem deciphering the records which the ZPIC alleges are “illegible.”  Having said that, ZPICs and other contractors have an enormous audit caseload, meaning they don’t spend a lot of time trying to make sense out of poorly written passages.  As a result, if their reviewers cannot readily read a passage, they merely deny the claim and move on.

The lesson to be learned is clear – physicians, nurses, therapists, counselors and others must ensure that any handwritten comments, signatures, dates or other information entered into a medical record can easily be read by an outside third party who is not experienced in reading the handwriting of your staff.  It is important to keep in mind that if there is an audit or review of this information by a ZPIC or another government contractor, it is likely to be several years in the future. During that period, the writer may no longer be with the practice and it may be difficult (if not impossible) to easily locate the writer for assistance in deciphering handwritten passages.  For Medicare compliance, regular self-audits can prove quite helpful in identifying possible problems.

If you are conducting a self-audit and find that words or passages are illegible or incorrect, you should consider taking the following remedial steps:

Advise your staff of the problem and follow-up to ensure that future entries are legible and accurate – Physicians, nurses and staff should be educated regarding the importance of ensuring that their handwriting is easily legible and the information they are providing is accurate. In most instances, once this is identified as an issue, most staff are willing to work with you so that future problems do not arise.  We recommend that regular follow-ups are conducted to ensure that problematic handwriting does not again deteriorate to where it is again illegible.

Correcting illegible or erroneous words, phrases or passages – Should you find that certain portions of a patient’s record documenting prior services rendered are illegible, you cannot merely erase it or use white out to hide the original handwritten section  before re-writing the passage so that it is legible. We recommend that you contact your Compliance Officer or legal counsel before making any changes to a medical record (regardless of whether the record is handwritten or electronic).  Legal counsel can guide you on the correct way to make changes or corrections to a medical record which documents services previously rendered. If a change or correction to a word or passage is necessary, you should not erase, white-out, scratch out or use a marker to conceal the original remark.  Instead, we usually recommend that a single line through the incorrect or illegible phrase or passage is made. If you are audited, an outside reviewer will be able to readily see the original passage. Next, the corrected entry should be carefully written next to or above the original entry. It should then be signed and dated by the individual making the correction.  In this fashion, an outside reviewer will not be misled in any way about what was originally written, when the corrected entry was made and / or the identity of the person making the change to the record.

As set out in Chapter 3 of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) advises ZPICs to consider the following:

“3.3.2 – Medical Review Guidance

For example, ZPIC staff looks for some of the following situations when reviewing documentation:

 • Possible falsification or other evidence of alterations including, but not limited to: obliterated sections; missing pages, inserted pages, white out; and excessive late entries;

 • Evidence that the service billed for was actually provided; or,

 • Patterns and trends that may indicate potential fraud.” (emphasis added).

 As a participating provider in the Medicare program, it is essential that you ensure that the care and treatment you provide is factual, accurate and recorded in a legible fashion. Ultimately, providers who diligently work to achieve these points will have made significant strides towards Medicare compliance in their  practice.

Liles Parker attorneys have extensive experience assisting providers in establishing an effective Medicare Compliance Plan. Should you have questions regarding Medicare compliance or how to instill a compliant culture in your clinic or practice, please give us a call at 1-800-475-1906 for a complimentary consultation. 

AdvanceMed Reportedly Acquired by NCI

I.  Background of AdvanceMed Transaction:

AdvanceMed has a new parent. Last week, it was announced that NCI, Inc., one of the nation’s most successful information technology companies, had acquired the outstanding capital stock of AdvanceMed Corporation (AdvanceMed), an affiliate of CSC. While the acquisition went largely unnoticed by the health care provider community, the transaction may, in fact, be quite significant.

With this acquisition by NCI, a recognized powerhouse in information technology, Medicare and Medicaid providers should expect AdvanceMed’s expertise in data mining and investigations to continue to grow. As AdvanceMed continues to fine-tune its data mining efforts and further expands its ability to conduct “Predictive Modeling,” providers will likely find their actions under the microscope like never before.  It is therefore imperative that all health care providers immediately implement an effective Compliance Plan or further enhance their current compliance efforts.

NCI first announced its plans to acquire AdvanceMed last February.  As NCI’s February 25th News Release noted:

“The Obama Administration has emphasized reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal entitlements. AdvanceMed is ideally positioned to support the program integrity initiatives of CMS and other Federal Government agencies. . . We are extremely pleased to have AdvanceMed join NCI and believe that this acquisition will provide NCI an outstanding platform to address this rapidly growing market opportunity.”

In recent years, AdvanceMed has positioned itself to where it now has multiple contracts with the Federal government.  AdvanceMed serves as the Zone Program Integrity Contractor (ZPIC) for Zone 2 and Zone 5.  Additionally, the contractor also serves as a Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) contractor.   On the Medicaid side,  AdvanceMed serves as a Medicaid Integrity Contractor (MIC).  While a host of other contractors have been awarded contracts covering other zones and program areas, AdvanceMed’s growth has been undeniably impressive.

As NCI announced in its April 4^th “News Release” covering the acquisition:

“AdvanceMed is a premier provider of healthcare program integrity services focused on the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse in healthcare programs, providing investigative services to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Serving CMS since 1999, AdvanceMed has grown rapidly, demonstrating the value and return on investment of the Federal Government’s integrity program activities.

AdvanceMed employs a strong and experienced professional staff, which leverages sophisticated information technology, data mining, and data analytical tools, to provide a full range of investigative services directed to the identification and recovery of inappropriate Medicare and Medicaid funds. AdvanceMed supports healthcare programs in 38 states with a staff of more than 450 professionals, including information specialists, nurses, physicians, statisticians, investigators, and other healthcare professionals.

AdvanceMed has multiple contracts with CMS under the Zone Program Integrity (ZPIC), Program Safeguard (PSC), Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT), and Medicaid Integrity (MIC) programs. All of these programs are executed under cost plus contract vehicles. The largest contracts-ZPIC Zone 5 and ZPIC Zone 2-were awarded in late 2009 and 2010 and have five-year periods of performance.

The acquisition price was $62 million. Included within the price is a recently completed, state-of-the-art data center to support the ZPIC Zone 5 and ZPIC Zone 2 contracts. Additionally, NCI will make a 338(h)(10) election, enabling a tax deduction, which is expected to result in a tax benefit with an estimated net present value of approximately $6 million to $8 million. NCI expects the transaction to be slightly accretive to 2011 earnings.

As of the end of March 2011, AdvanceMed has a revenue backlog of approximately $300 million with approximately $51 million of that amount being currently funded. Revenue for the trailing 12 months ending March 31, 2011, is estimated to be approximately $51 million, all of which was generated from Federal Government contracts, and 99% of the work performed as a prime contractor. NCI’s AdvanceMed 2011 revenue, covering the nine-month period of April 2, 2011, to December 31, 2011, is estimated to be in the range of $43 million to $47 million (the equivalent of $57 million to $63 million on a full 12-month basis), with the midpoint reflecting a full-year growth of approximately 16%. . .”

II.  Overview of the ZPIC Program:

Under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), CMS was required to take a number of steps intended to streamline the claims processing and review process:

•  Using competitive measures, CMS was required to replace the current Medicare Fiscal Intermediaries (Part A) and Carriers (Part B) contractors with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).
• After setting up the new MAC regions, CMS created new entities, called Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs).
•  These actions were intended to consolidate the existing program integrity efforts.  Over the last 2 — 3 years, ZPICs have been taking over PSC audit and enforcement activities around the country.

At the time of transition, there were twelve PSCs that had been awarded umbrella contracts by CMS. As these contracts have expired, CMS has transferred the PSCs’ fraud detection and deterrence functions over to ZPICs.  Of the seven ZPIC zones established in the MMA, CMS has awarded contracts for a number of the zones. CMS is still working to issue awards for the final ZPIC zones.  The seven ZPIC zones include the following states and / or territories:

• Zone 1 – CA, NV, American Samoa, Guam, HI and the Mariana Islands.
• Zone 2 – AdvanceMed: AK, WA, OR, MT, ID, WY, UT, AZ, ND, SD, NE, KS, IA, MO.
• Zone 3 – MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH and KY.
• Zone 4 – Health Integrity: CO, NM, OK, TX.
• Zone 5 – AdvanceMed: AL, AR, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and WV.
• Zone 6 – PA, NY, MD, DC, DE and ME, MA, NJ, CT, RI, NH and VT.
• Zone 7 – SafeGuard Services: FL, PR and VI.

In many instances, these changes have been nothing more than a name change. ZPIC responsibilities are generally the same as those currently exercised by PSCs. While ZPIC overpayment review duties have not appreciably changed, the number of civil and criminal referrals appear to be increasing. In our opinion, ZPICs clearly view their role differently than that of their PSC predecessors.  ZPICs clearly view themselves as an integral part of the law enforcement team, despite the fact that they are for-profit contractors.  In consideration of their ability to recommend to CMS that a provider be suspended or have their Medicare number revoked, or even refer a provider to law enforcement for civil and / or criminal investigation, providers should take these contractors quite seriously.

Both ZPICs and PSCs have traditionally asserted that unlike their RAC counterparts, they are not “bounty hunters.”  ZPICs are not paid contingency fees like RACs but instead directly by CMS on a contractual basis.  Nevertheless, common sense tells us that if ZPICs aren’t successful at identifying alleged overpayments, the chances of a ZPIC’s contract with CMS being renewed are likely diminished. AdvanceMed’s recent announcement shows that they are a very profitable entity and are paid on a “cost-plus” basis (leaving room for bonuses and other incentives). Additionally, experience has shown us that despite the fact that ZPICs are expected to adhere to applicable Medicare coverage guidelines, a ZPIC’s interpretation and application of these coverage requirements may greatly differ from your understanding of the same provisions.

           In recent years, ZPICs have been aggressively pursuing a wide variety of actions, including but not limited to:

• Pre-Payment Audit.  After conducting a probe audit of a provider’s Medicare claims, the ZPIC may place a provider on “Pre-payment Audit” (also commonly referred to as “Pre-Payment Review”).  Unlike a post-payment audit, there is no administrative appeals process that may be utilized by a provider for relief.  Having said that, there are strategies that may be utilized by a provider which may assist in keeping the time period on pre-payment review at a minimum.
• Post-Payment Audit.  Audits conducted by ZPICs primarily involve Medicare claims that have already been paid by the government.  In many cases, the ZPICs appear to have conducted a strict application of the coverage requirements, regardless of whether a provider’s deviation from the rules is “de minimus” in nature. In doing so, it is not unusual to find that a provider has failed to comply with each and every requirement.  Depending on the nature of the initial sample drawn, a ZPIC may extrapolate the damages in a case, significantly increasing the the alleged overpayment.  In doing so, the ZPIC is effectively claiming that the “sample” of claims audited are representative of the universe of claims at issue in an audit.
• Suspension.  While the number of suspension actions taken by ZPICs has steadily increased in recent years,  Medicare providers should expect to see this number continue to grow.  Under the Affordable Care Act (often informally referred to as the “Health Care Reform” Act), CMS’ suspension authority has greatly expanded.   
• Revocation.  As with suspensions, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of Medicare revocation actions taken over the last year. The reasons for revocation have varied but have typically been associated with alleged violations of their participation agreement. In some cases, the ZPIC contractors found that the provider has moved addresses and did not properly notified Medicare. In other cases, a provider was alleged to have been uncooperative during a site visit. Finally, there were a number of instances where the provider allegedly did not meet the “core” requirements necessary for their facility to remain certified.
• Referrals for Civil and Criminal Enforcement.  ZPICs are actively referring providers to HHS-OIG (which can in turn refer the case to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for possible civil and / or criminal enforcement) when a case appears to entail more that a mere overpayment. However, just because a referral is made doesn’t mean that it will prosecuted. In many instances, HHS-OIG (and / or DOJ) will decline to open a case due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of evidence, insufficient damages, etc.).

 III.  Steps Providers Can Take Now, Before They are Subjected to a ZPIC Audit:

In responding to a ZPIC audit, it is important to remember that although they may not technically be “bounty hunters,” it is arguably to their benefit to find that an overpayment has occurred. These overpayments are often based on overlapping “technical” (such as an incorrect place of service code) and “substantive” (such as lack of medical necessity) reasons for denial.  In recent years, the level of expertise exercised by ZPICs is often quite high — noting multiple reasons for denial and concern.

Unfortunately, the reality is that most (if not all) Medicare providers will find themselves the subject of a ZPIC, CERT, RAC or other type of claims audit at some point in the future.  In our opinion, the single most effective step you can take to prepare for a contractor audit is to ensure that your organization has implemented and is adhering to an effective Compliance Plan.  Several general points to consider also include:

Keep in mind your experiences with PSCs and other contractors.  The lessons you have learned responding to PSC, CERT and RAC audits can be invaluable when appealing ZPIC overpayments.  As you will recall, the appeals rules to be followed are virtually the same.

Monitor HHS-OIG’s Work Plan.  While often cryptic, it can be invaluable in identifying areas of government concern.  Are any of the services or procedures your organization currently provides a focus of HHS-OIG’s audit or investigative?

 Keep an eye on RAC activities.  Review the service-specific findings set out in annual RAC reports.  Review targeted areas carefully to ascertain whether claims meet Medicare’s coding and medical necessity policies.

You never realize how bad your documentation is until your facility is audited. While many providers start out “over-documenting” services (to the extent that there is such a thing), a provider’s documentation practices often become more relaxed as time goes on – especially when the provider has not been audited for an extended period of time.  In such situations, both physicians and their staff may fail to fully document the services provided.  Moreover, the care taken to ensure that all supporting documentation has been properly secured may have also lapsed over the years.

Review your documentation.  Imagine you are an outside third-party reviewer.  Can an outsider fully appreciate the patient’s clinical status and the medical necessity of treatment?  Are the notes legible and written is a clear fashion?  Compare your E/M services to the 1995 or 1997 Evaluation and Management (E/M) Guidelines – have you fully and completely documented the services you provided?  If dealing with skilled services, have you fully listed and discussed both the need for skilled services and the specific skilled services provided?

IV.  Closing Thoughts:

Imagine a ZPIC hands you a claims analysis rife with alleged errors, an indecipherable list of statistical formulas, and an extrapolated recovery demand that will cripple your practice or clinic. What steps should you take to analyze their work? Based on our experience, providers can and should carefully assess the contractor’s actions, particularly the use of formulas and application of the RAT-STATS program when selecting a statistical sample and extrapolating the alleged damages based on the sample. Over the years, we have challenged the extrapolation of damages conducted by Medicare contractors around the country, including tens of thousands of claims. Regardless of whether you are a Skilled Nursing Facility providing skilled nursing and skilled therapy services, an M.D. or D.O. providing E/M services, a Home Health company or a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) company, it is imperative that you work with experienced legal counsel and statistical experts to analyze the actions take by a ZPIC.

Liles Parker attorneys and staff have extensive experience representing a wide range of Medicare providers in audits by ZPICs, PSCs and other contractors.  Should you have questions regarding an inquiry from a ZPIC, PSC or RAC that you have received, please feel free to give us a call for a complimentary consultation.  We can be reached at:  1 (800) 475-1906.

SNF Medicare Denial Letters Follow HHS-OIG Report

I.  SNF Medicare Denial Letters Background

The Prospective Payment System (PPS) under which Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) are reimbursed by Medicare has long been criticized by many concerned with curbing waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare program. Critics argue that, because the SNF reimbursement rate is prospective in nature and largely commensurate with the extent of skilled services provided to a beneficiary, SNFs will be more likely to provide unnecessary or unreasonable services for beneficiaries, thus increasing their reimbursement. For example, simply increasing the number of minutes of therapy a beneficiary receives (or providing a second or third therapy modality) could upgrade the Resource Utilization Group (RUG) to which the patient has been assigned, thereby resulting in a substantially higher reimbursement rate for the provider. This concern has prompted increased scrutiny of SNF billing practices and resulted in the issuance of SNF Medicare denial letters from Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs).

II.  Questionable Billing Practices by Skilled Nursing Facilities

The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) recently released a report entitled “Questionable Billing Practices by Skilled Nursing Facilities”. The three chief objectives of this report were to:

1. Ascertain the extent to which billing practices by SNFs changed between 2006 and 2008;
2. Determine the extent to which billing varied by type of SNF ownership in 2008; and
3. Identify SNFs that engaged in questionable billing practices in 2008.

HHS-OIG analyzed Part A SNF claim line items from 2006 and 2008, including the types of RUGs billed by SNF, beneficiary characteristics, and the average length of stay in the SNF for each beneficiary. OIG specifically focused on SNFs that billed frequently for higher-paying RUGs, namely those falling under the “Rehabilitation” or “Rehabilitation Plus Extensive Services” categories.

Based on the data it reviewed, OIG reached several conclusions regarding the billing practices of SNFs between 2006 and 2008, most notably:

• The percentage of “Ultra High” therapy RUG placements increased substantially between 2006 and 2008, while RUG assignment rates for all other categories decreased or remained static. This increase in “Ultra High” therapy RUG billing represented approximately $5 billion in additional Medicare payments to SNFs between 2006 and 2008.
• For-profit SNFs were more likely than non-profit or government SNFs to bill for higher paying RUGs.
• Three quarters of all SNFs had up to 39% placement rates in “Ultra High” therapy RUGs.

HHS-OIG then outlined several recommendations based on its conclusions, one of which entailed increased oversight of SNFs that bill for higher paying RUGs:

CMS should instruct its contractors to monitor the SNFs billing for higher paying RUGs using the indictors discussed in this report. Specifically, the contractors should determine for each SNF: (1) the percentage of RUGs for ultra high therapy; (2) the percentage of RUGs with high ADL scores, and (3) the average length of stay. CMS should develop thresholds for each of these measures and instruct contractors to conduct additional reviews of SNFs that exceed them. If SNFs from a particular chain frequently exceed these thresholds, then additional reviews should be conducted of the other SNFs in that chain.

Contractors should use this information to target their efforts to more effectively identify and prevent inappropriate billing. Contractors could conduct medical reviews of a sample of claims from SNFs that exceed these thresholds. Contractors could use their findings to recover inappropriate payments, to place certain SNFs on prepayment review, and to initiate fraud investigations.

The message to Medicare contractors is crystal clear: SNFs, especially those that have a significant placement rate for “Ultra High” therapy RUGs, should be increasingly targeted for audits. Expect SNF Medicare denial letters to rise precipitously Meanwhile, OIG has shown no signs of relenting in its scrutiny of SNFs, noting in its 2011 Work Plan that:

We will review the extent to which payments to SNFs meet Medicare coverage requirements . . . We will conduct a medical review to determine whether claims were medically necessary, sufficiently documented, and coded correctly during calendar year (CY) 2009.

Providers should ensure that their medical records and documentation satisfy applicable regulations and that they have an effective compliance plan in place to deter future audits. Otherwise, facilities targeted for review could face the imposition of prepayment review status, SNF Medicare denial letters, payment bans, or even civil monetary penalties (CMPs).

III.        Areas of Focus by Medicare Contractors:

Based on the concerns raised by HHS-OIG, ZPICs, RACs, MACs, and other Medicare contractors conducting audits of SNFs are likely to focus on the following issues:

Proper RUG Placement: SNF care must be provided at the appropriate level. This means that all services are necessary and reasonable and information entered on all Minimum Data Sets (MDS) for each beneficiary is complete and accurate. Contractors will closely scrutinize all RUG assignments, particularly those falling under the “Ultra High” therapy category.

Necessity and Reasonableness of Therapy Care: All therapy services must be consistent with the nature and severity of the beneficiary’s illness or injury. In many instances, contractors may question the therapy modalities provided to a beneficiary, the amount of therapy a beneficiary receives, or even the activities in which a beneficiary participates during therapy.

Provision of Skilled Care: All care provided by an SNF must be “skilled,” meaning that it can only be safely or effective provided by technical or professional personnel, such as nurses or therapists. Contractors will often conclude that skilled care is not supported by documentation that is vague, generic, or repetitive.

Providers should review their medical documentation and related policies to ensure that, at a minimum, all of the elements and requirements discussed above are adequately addressed. There are also a number of additional steps providers can take to limit their liability in any future audits and reduce the chances of receiving the dreaded SNF Medicare denial letters.

IV.        How to Avoid SNF Medicare Denial Letters and What To Do if You Get One

1.  Tailor Each Care Plan to the Beneficiary’s Individual Needs: As discussed above, care provided by an SNF must be necessary and reasonable, meaning that it is consistent with the beneficiary’s illness or injury. This is essentially a principle of proportionality. Providers should ensure that all RUG classifications and care plans created for beneficiaries- especially therapy care plans- are tailored to the beneficiary’s individual needs and designed to address the beneficiary’s functional deficits. Contractors will be on the look out for RUG assignments or care plans that provide for overly extensive services or excessive treatment modalities.

2.  Maintain Detailed Medical Records: SNFs must provide beneficiaries with “skilled” care, so all documentation should be sufficiently detailed to reflect the technical or specialized knowledge of the SNF staff. SNFs should also amply document all activities related to management and evaluation of beneficiary care plans, observation and assessment of beneficiaries’ medical conditions, any beneficiary education services regarding self-care, or any therapeutic exercises conducted with the beneficiary.

3. Ensure that the MDS is Consistent with the Beneficiary’s Clinical Record: The first document a contractor will scrutinize when it questions a RUG placement will be the MDS. Contractors will often argue that the information coded on the MDS is inconsistent with the clinical record. Providers should thus ensure that all data entered on every MDS is supported by the corresponding clinical record. A more robust record will make it much harder for a contractor to successfully challenge a RUG classification.

4. Consult Qualified Counsel: The consequences of an audit can be financially devastating to a provider. In light of increased scrutiny from Medicare contractors and the overall complexity of the medical review process, providers should consult qualified counsel if they have concerns regarding the sufficiency of their medical documentation or a potential audit. Counsel can assist providers with designing and implementing a comprehensive compliance plan or, if necessary, effectively responding to an audit initiated by a Medicare contractor.  Liles Parker attorneys and staff have extensive experience handling both (a) administrative appeals of denied claims in post-payment audits by ZPICs and PSCs, and (b) working with therapy and other providers to devise effective compliance plans and provisions designed to assist these providers in meeting their statutory, regulatory and administrative obligations under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

In our opinion, Medicare contractors (including ZPICs, PSCs and RACs), acting at the direction of CMS and HSS-OIG, will continue to expand their audit efforts against SNFs, particularly those with a significant number of beneficiaries assigned to “Ultra High” therapy RUGs, and issue SNF Medicare denial letters. Accordingly, SNFs should review the quality and sufficiency of their documentation and implement comprehensive compliance efforts to deter potential audits.  Therefore, it is imperative that affected providers immediately take steps to assess their current practices and take remedial steps to correct any deficiencies identified.

Liles Parker attorneys and staff have extensive experience representing Medicare providers in post-payment audits of therapy and related skilled claims by ZPICs and other contractors.  Should you have questions regarding this article or the appeal of Medicare post-payment audits, please give us a call for complimentary consultation.  We can be reached at 1-800-475-1906. 

2011. . . The Year of Compliance — Avoiding ZPIC Initiated Medicare Suspension Actions

(January 11, 2011): As you recall at the end of 2010 we identified the “Top Ten Health Care Compliance Risks for 2011.”  The purpose of this and subsequent articles is to analyze two of those risks; Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs) and Payment Suspension Actions. Over the next few days we will be discussing these two risk areas in depth.

I. Overview:

As discussed in our “Top Ten” article, we anticipate that ZPICs will ratchet up their use of provider suspension actions in 2011.  At the close of 2010, there already appeared to be an increase in the use of suspension actions by ZPICs in South Texas and in other areas of the country.  In many instances, these actions were the result of sophisticated data mining techniques by ZPICs.  While cases are initiated in a variety of ways (including, but not limited to whistleblower complaints, anonymous reports to the government’s fraud hotline, etc.), data mining is a key tool relied on by ZPICs and government agencies for targeting purposes.

After analyzing the data, ZPICs often send out requests for information or conduct site visits of health care provider facilities.  These requests and / or site visits can result in medical reviews, demands for alleged overpayments, or lead to referrals to one or more government investigative agencies (such as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) and / or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)). Since established, ZPICs have clearly met their goal of developing “innovative data analysis methodologies for detecting and preventing Medicare fraud and abuse.”  Rather than pursuing merely administrative overpayment cases, over the last six months, we have noted an increase in the number of cases referred to law enforcement for fraud investigation.  While seven ZPIC zones have been identified, only three companies have been awarded ZPIC contracts at this time.  Where ZPIC contracts remain pending, Program SafeGuard Contractors (PSC) are typically still operating and are conducting essentially the same duties as their ZPIC counterparts.  The seven ZPIC zones include:

• Zone 1- CA, NV, American Samoa, Guam, HI and the Mariana Islands.
• Zone 2 includes; AK, WA, OR, MT, ID, WY, UT, AZ, ND, SD, NE, KS, IA, MO.
• Zone 3-MN, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH and KY.
• Zone 4-CO, NM, OK, TX.
• Zone 5- AL, AR, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and WV
• Zone 6- PA, NY, MD, DC, DE and ME, MA, NJ, CT, RI, NH and VT.
• Zone 7- FL, PR and VI

The following map reflects zones where the ZPIC contractor is currently operating.  Each of the ZPICs listed below are actively sending out requests for information and / or conducting site visits.  In a number of instances, the ZPICs have been noted to be suspending providers from the Medicare program based on variety of alleged statutory and / regulatory violations.

ZPICs have been very active in their site visits which have brought about Medicare suspension and revocation actions. In some cases, these site visits have resulted in allegations of “fraud or willful misrepresentation” with ZPIC’s contacting of CMS for approval to place the provider on payment suspension.  In tomorrow’s article, we will be examining the primary reasons cited by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) when placing a provider on payment suspension status.

Robert W. Liles serves as Managing Partner at Liles Parker.  Robert and our other attorneys have extensive experience representing health care providers in ZPIC initiated actions.  Should your Physician Practice, Home Health Agency, Hospice Company, Physical / Occupational / Speech Therapy Clinic, Ambulance Company, Therapy Company, Pain Clinic be subjected to a ZPIC audit, give us a call for a free consultation.  We can be reached at: 1 (800) 475-1906.

The Zone 7 ZPIC Has Recommended Revocation of 82% of CORFS and 79% of CMHCs in South Florida – Is Your ZPIC Next?

(October 9, 2010):  In late 2008, SafeGuard Services LLC (SafeGuard) was awarded one of the first two contracts to serve as a Zone Program Integrity Contractor (ZPIC) for Zone 7, an area which includes Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The contract covered a base year plus four additional years.  SafeGuard’s appointment was one of the first actions taken to consolidate the work previously performed by Program SafeGuard Contractors (PSCs) and Medicare Drug Integrity Contractors (MEDICs). Among its consolidated duties, SafeGuard is responsible for handling medical reviews and benefit integrity functions for Medicare claims under both Part A and Part B (hospital, CMHCs, skilled nursing, home health, provider and durable medical equipment).  These claims are the focus of this article.  SafeGuard became fully operational in Zone 7 on February 1, 2009.

Working together to promote the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, in recent years Safeguard has developed close working relationships with CMS, HHS-OIG, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and other Medicare contractors.  .

As with other ZPICs, SafeGuard employs a number of techniques, both proactive and reactive, to address fraud.  In recent years, SafeGuard appears to have been one of the leading ZPICs in terms of “data-mining.”  The primary source for Medicare claims data is CMS’ National Claims History system.  Many of the audit and investigative processes developed by SafeGuard appear to now be employed by other ZPICs

CMS’ Proposed Rule issued September 23, 2010, provides an overview of how CMS and HHS-OIG intend to implement a number of new enforcement tools authorized under the Health Care Reform bill passed last March.  In reviewing the Proposed Rule, we unexpectedly learned about several audit initiatives that the “Zone 7 ZPIC” has been pursuing.  As the Proposed Rule states:

In addition to GAO and HHS OIG studies and reports, a number of Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPIC) and Program Safeguard Contractors (PSC), organizations used by CMS in helping to fight fraud in Medicare, have taken a number of administrative actions including payment suspensions and increased medical review, for the provider and supplier types shown above. For example, the Zone 7 ZPIC contractor in South Florida has conducted onsite reviews at 62 CORFs since January 2010 and recommended revocation for 51 CORFs, or 82 percent of the CORFS in the area. The same contractor has conducted an onsite reviews at 38 CMHCs located in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County since January 2010, and recommended that 30 CMHCs be revoked for noncompliance (79 percent of the CMHCs in the area). In each instance where the ZPIC requested a revocation, the CMHC was also placed on prepay review. We have also conducted an analysis of IDTF licensure requirements and have found several circumstances that indicate irregularity and potential risk of fraud.” (emphasis added).

 Notably, there was no discussion of how the ZPIC expects patients with rehabilitative needs or acute psychiatric treatment needs will be cared for if SafeGuard succeeds in shutting down a vast majority of the CORFs or CMHCs in South Florida.   Is your ZPIC next to go down this path?

 Liles Parker attorneys represent providers in ZPIC related actions.  For a free consultation, please call 1 (800) 475-1906.

DOJ/HHS Regional Health Care Fraud Summits are Here — Data Mining is Being Used for Targeting

(August 31, 2010):

I.     Introduction — Regional Health Care Fraud Summits:

Last week, department heads of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), met in Los Angeles, CA and conducted the second of a planned series of “Regional Health Care Fraud Prevention Summits.”  Following-up on a similar conference held in Miami, DOJ Attorney General Eric Holder HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed a number of ongoing concerns and remedial steps that are being taken to identify, investigate and prosecute instances of Medicare fraud.  In addition to these agency heads, participants learned of current and additional planned fraud enforcement initiatives from Federal and State law enforcement officials.

II.     Health Care Fraud Issues Discussed at the Summit:

As Attorney General Holder discussed, the administration’s current enforcement actions were having a significant impact on health care fraud.  In fact, additional funding has been allocated to expand the HEAT program to additional cities:

 “. . . Last year brought an historic step forward in this fight.   In May 2009, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services launched the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team, or “HEAT.”   Through HEAT, we’ve fostered unprecedented collaboration between our agencies and our law enforcement partners.   We’ve ensured that the fight against criminal and civil health care fraud is a Cabinet-level priority.   And we’ve strengthened our capacity to fight health care fraud through the enhanced use of our joint Medicare Strike Forces.”    

 This approach is working.  

In fact, HEAT’s impact has been recognized by President Obama, whose FY2011 budget request includes an additional $60 million to expand our network of Strike Forces to additional cities.   With these new resources, and our continued commitment to collaboration, I have no doubt we’ll be able to extend HEAT’s record of achievement.   And this record is extraordinary.

 In just the last fiscal year, we’ve won or negotiated more than $1.6 billion in judgments and settlements, returned more than $2.5 billion to the Medicare Trust Fund, opened thousands of new criminal and civil health care fraud investigations, reached an all-time high in the number of health care fraud defendants charged, and stopped numerous large-scale fraud schemes in their tracks.

 We can all be encouraged, in particular, by what’s been accomplished in L.A.   Criminals we’ve brought to justice here – in the last year alone – include the owners of the City of Angels Hospital, who   pleaded guilty to paying illegal kickbacks to homeless shelters as part of a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medi-Cal; a physician in Torrance who defrauded insurance companies by misrepresenting cosmetic procedures as “medically necessary”; an Orange County oncologist who pleaded guilty to fraudulently billing Medicare and other health insurance companies up to $1 million for cancer medications that weren’t provided; a Santa Ana doctor who pleaded guilty to health care fraud for giving AIDS and HIV patients diluted medications; and a ring of criminals who defrauded Medi-Cal out of more than $4.5 million by using unlicensed individuals to provide in-home care to scores of disabled patients, many of them children.“ (emphasis added).

As HHS Secretary Sebelius further noted:

“In March, we gave him some help when Congress passed and the president signed the Affordable Care Act — one of the strongest health care anti-fraud bills in American history. Under the new law we’ve begun to strengthen the screenings for health care providers who want to participate in Medicaid or Medicare.  And I am proud to announce that CMS is issuing a final rule strengthening enrollment standards for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).

This rule and others coming soon mean that only appropriately qualified suppliers will be enrolled in the program. The days when you could just hang a shingle over a desk and start submitting claims are over. No more power-driven wheelchairs for marathon runners.  Under the new law, we’re also making it easier for law enforcement officials to see health care claims data from around the country in one place, combining all Medicare-paid claims into a single, searchable database. And we’re getting smarter about analyzing those claims in real time to flag potential scams.  It is what credit card companies have been doing for decades:  If 10 flat screen TV’s are suddenly charged to my card in one day, they know something’s not quite right. So they put a hold on payment and call me right away. 

We should be able to take the same approach when one provider submits ten times as many claims for oxygen equipment as a similar operation just down the road.  It’s about spotting fraud early before it escalates and the cost grows.  As we step up our efforts to stamp out fraud, we’re holding ourselves accountable. The President has made a commitment to cut improper Medicare payments in half by 2012.”

While DOJ Attorney General Holder’s and HHS Secretary Sebelius’ presentations provided an overview of law enforcement’s current and future efforts, the comments of DOJ Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Lanny A. Breuer, were especially enlightening in terms of how providers are being identified and targeted for investigation.   As Mr. Breuer discussed:

“In 2007, the Criminal Division of the Justice Department refocused our approach to investigating and prosecuting health care fraud cases. Our investigative approach is now data driven: put simply, our analysts and agents review Medicare billing data from across the country; identify patterns of unusual billing conduct; and then deploy our “Strike Force” teams of investigators and prosecutors to those hotspots to investigate, make arrests, and prosecute. And as criminals become more creative and sophisticated, we intend to use our most aggressive investigative techniques to be right at their heels. Whenever possible, we actively use undercover operations, court-authorized wiretaps and room bugs, and confidential informants to stop these schemes in their tracks.” (emphasis added).

As Mr. Breuer’s comments further confirm, health care providers are being identified based on their billing patterns.  Through the use of data-mining, providers who coding and billing practices identify them as “outliers,” are finding themselves subjected to  administrative, civil and even criminal investigation.

III.     Commentary:

As counsel for a wide variety of health care providers around the country, we are especially concerned that honest, hard-working health care providers are finding themselves and their practices / clinics under investigation merely because:  (1) their productivity is higher than that of their peers, or (2) their focus is specialized and often treats a higher percentage of seriously sick patients which ultimately requires a more detailed or comprehensive examination than one might normally find.  Ultimately, through our representation of health care providers who have been targeted through data-mining, we believe that it is fundamentally unfair to investigate a provider merely on the basis of statistical data which can be manipulated in a thousand different ways in order to justify going after a specific provider or a type of practice.

On the administrative side, when data-mining is used as a targeting tool, providers are being audited and pursued by ZPICs, PSCs and RACs – each of is incentivized (either because they receive a percentage of any overpayment OR they are under contract with CMS to find overpayments and wrongful billings) to find fault with the provider.

IV.     Continuing Health Care Fraud Concerns:

Under the current system, providers targeted through data-mining are likely to be saddled with extrapolated damages which can easily run into the millions of dollars, regardless of the fact that a large percentage of these providers are eventually exonerated (either fully or partially) when the case is heard by an Administrative Law Judge.

Health care providers subjected to an administrative audit (by a ZPIC, PSC or RAC), civil investigation (such as a review by the DOJ for possible False Claims Act liability), or criminal investigation (by DOJ or a State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit) should immediately contact your counsel.  Extreme care should be taken when making statements to Federal or State investigators.  Should the provider make a statement that is false or misleading, such comments could be used as the basis for bringing a separate cause of action.  Your legal counsel may choose to handle all contacts with the government.

Robert W. Liles serves as Managing Partner at Liles Parker.  Should you need assistance in connection with Medicare matters and cases.  Should you have questions regarding these issues, give us a call for a free consultation.   Call us at: 1 (800) 475-1906.

 

 

 

ZPIC Audits Seeking to Extrapolate Damages. Is Your Legal Counsel Experienced?

(July 20, 2010): In recent years, we have seen agents for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) increasingly rely on statistical extrapolation in ZPIC audit cases. In early cases, we successfully invalidated countless extrapolations by identifying relatively basic reasons for why the calculations were inconsistent with accepted statistical principles and practices.  Now, however, providers should expect for ZPIC audits to ultimately result in a team of staff from the ZPIC (such as a statistician, an attorney and a clinician) attending and participating in the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing in an effort to have their extrapolation calculations approved by the Court.

Regardless of whether you are providing Home Health, Hospice or Durable Medical Equipment services, if your organization is facing an extrapolated ZPC audit, it is strongly recommended that you engage qualified, experienced legal counsel to represent your interests as early in the appeals process as possible.  Your legal counsel can then engage an experienced expert statistician to assess the contractor’s actions and assist with the attorney’s efforts to have the extrapolation thrown out by either the Qualified Independent Contractor (QIC) or the ALJ hearing your case.  Before you engage counsel, you should consider asking the following questions:

Has the attorney ever handled large, complex contractor audits before? Some firms will happily take your case, despite the fact that they have little or no experience in this area of health law. Don’t pay for your attorneys to learn how to handle a case. While every case is different, an experienced firm will have developed a number of arguments and defenses that may be readily used in your case without having to conduct costly, extensive legal research.

Can the firm provide client references who are willing to speak with you about the quality of work performed on their Medicare statistical extrapolation case?

Who will be working on your case? Will it be an inexperienced Associate attorney or one of the partners who has actually fought and won a multitude of Medicare overpayment claims and cases where the damages have been extrapolated by the contractors?

What are the credentials of the attorneys and paralegals who will be working on your case? Have they ever worked on the side of the government? One of our attorneys served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for many years, ultimately being selected to serve as the First National Health Care Fraud Coordinator for the Department of Justice, Executive Office for U. S. Attorneys. In addition to a law degree, he also holds a Master’s in Health Care Administration. To fully appreciate the challenges faced by health care providers, you need an attorney who understands both the legal constraints and the practical business risks faced by health care providers.

In several of the ZPIC audit appeals cases we have handled, the alleged error rate has exceeded 90%.  With the resulting alleged damages often in the millions of dollars, few health care providers are in a position to merely pay such an assessment.  Instead, they need experienced legal counsel to defend their interests and set out the reasons why these claims should qualify for coverage and payment. When handling these cases, it is essential that you challenge both the denial of claims and the extrapolation itself (as appropriate).

Robert W. Liles serves as Managing Partner at Liles Parker.  Robert and our other attorneys have extensive experience defending health care providers in cases where ZPICs have sought to impose extrapolated damages.  Should you have any questions regarding these issues, don’t hesitate to contact Robert for a complementary consultation.  He can be reached at:  1 (800) 475-1906.

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