• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Don't let the Work Plan disrupt your focus

Healthcare Auditing Weekly, March 2, 2004

Don't just limit your compliance auditing to those issues that the OIG is focusing on in a given year. Look beyond the topics addressed in the OIG's Annual Work Plan to make your audits as effective as possible. Although it's important for you to be aware of the content of the work plan, and to build some review of the focus areas into the audit process, the OIG's plan for the next year will come from coding errors that they find during the current year.

Every provider should prepare for the upcoming focus areas by doing at least a few audits using a random sample selection. Random sample selection, if performed correctly, is representative of the entire population. In addition, if any extrapolation needs to occur, it should be from a random sample selection. Focused sample selection is not representative of the entire population and it skews results.

For more information on diversifying your audits, order the book "Coding Compliance: A Practical Guide to the Audit Process." This book provides step-by-step guidance on how to conduct an audit, with dozens of sample forms, reports, and tools to simplify your audits, and advice on how to follow up on the results of your audits, such as by educating staff and returning money for overpayments. Other information in the book includes: education on the need for audits; how to carry them out; follow-up activities; attorney-client privilege (how to obtain it, and when it's appropriate to seek it), and explanations on the difference between monitoring and auditing. The book also includes explanations on the interface between these two functions. Click here to save 10% by ordering online.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive