Admit it: Admission orders important in era of audits
Recovery Auditor Report, March 4, 2010
Admission orders are an important area of focus for auditors charged with the responsibility for recouping improper Medicare payments. Billing for an inpatient admission is dependent on the physician’s order. For this reason, auditors will keep a keen eye on placement orders, according to Deborah K. Hale, CCS, president and CEO of Administrative Consultant Service, LLC.
Verifying that a valid physician’s “admit” order is documented, dated and timed is an essential step in the audit process. Simply documenting the intent in the progress notes is unacceptable; a physician is required to document intent within the initial order for services, Hale says, noting that since admission orders were an issue in the RAC demonstration project, and will likely continue in the permanent RAC.
Related Products
-
Prevent Denials and Win Appeals:
Hospital case managers and directors of case management will find Prevent Denials and Win Appeals to be a valuable partner...
-
Avoidable Day Analyzer
Discover why avoidable hospitalization days occur, who's responsible for them, and how to tackle the problem head on with...
-
Combat RAC Denials: Strategies for Successful Appeals
During this 90-minute audio conference, our speakers provide step-by-step procedures, timelines, tools, and best practices...
-
Mastering the Three-Day Payment Window
During this 90 minute audio conference our expert speaker, Kimberly Anderwood Hoy provides a brief history of the rule...
-
Proactively Defend Against Recovery Auditor Prepayment Reviews
Recovery Auditor prepayment reviews are the latest wrinkle to be thrown at providers. This audio conference will help...
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Lack of sleep for nurses can lead to health risks, medical errors
- Don't forget the three checks in medication administration
- ICD-10-CM coma, stroke codes require more specific documentation
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- Q&A: Primary, principal, and secondary diagnoses
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- Complications from immobility by body system
- Neurological checks for head injuries
- Understanding and coding for critical care services
- E-mailed
-
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- Hospital Billing from A to Z: 3- and 1-day rules
- Q&A: What is an invasive procedure?
- Review guidelines for coding pregnancy, its complications
- Q&A: Why can’t we bill ventilator management in the ED?
- Q&A: Primary, principal, and secondary diagnoses
- Q&A: Measuring CDI specialist productivity
- Examine documentation for clinical indicators that provide context for MCCs
- Document your clinical competency committee meeting
- Consider these strategies to bill non-qualifying inpatient
- Searched
