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
-
- Use caution when applying modifier -25
- Don't forget the three checks in medication administration
- Nursing responsibilities for managing pain
- Steps for maintaining patient privacy
- Know guidelines and subtle differences in code descriptions for laceration repairs
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- Poor documentation: The consequences
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- Complications from immobility by body system
- Q&A: Primary, principal, and secondary diagnoses
- E-mailed
-
- Understand how to apply the 1995 and 1997 Documentation Guidelines for E/M Services
- Tip: Identify covered nerve block procedures
- Putting Management and Evaluation into Perspective
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- Learning and mastering the operating budget
- CAHs and condition code 44
- 10 Tips for Educating Elderly Patients
- Searched