The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will begin to conduct billing audits of providers who use electronic health records, according to a news alert issued this week by law firm Mintz Levin. The firm, reporting on a presentation by CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner at a March 5 meeting held by the Federation of American Hospitals, noted that "small, targeted" audits would be held in parallel with the Meaningful Use audit program, which began last July.
The news alert also reported that CMS will hold a summit in May with providers and EHR vendors to address upcoding issues associated with EHRs. Billing improprieties with EHR use has been a recent concern for CMS and other government entities, as EHRs enable providers to capture additional billing codes, and often suggest which codes to enter on claim forms. News alert