RAC audits expanding further

RAC audits are continuing to roll out into broader and broader areas of the country. Earlier this month Connolly Healthcare, the RAC handling a large portion of the southeast and south-central U.S., posted the first set of issues that will be eligible for review on its website.

Now, HealthDataInsights is doing its thing. This RAC covers Region D, which includes a gigantic swath of the country including Alaska, Arizona, California, South Dakota, North Dakota, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Bear in mind that while it's not automatic, RACs tend to borrow the lists of items they review from one another, so it's good to know what Connolly is up to. Its list includes proper coding for blood transfusions; untimed codes; IV hydration therapy; bronchoscopy services; once-in-a-lifetime procedures; pediatric codes exceeding age parameters; and Injection, Pegfilgrastim, 6mg. These all will be subject to automated review, which is where RAC audits are all going to begin.

To learn more about this round of RAC expansion:
- read the HFMA News piece [1]

Related Articles:
RAC audits are imminent [2]
Preparing for the 'big RAC attack' [3]
CMS announces RAC contractor choices [4]