The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued its quarterly report for recovery auditor (RAC) activity, and pressure on providers to cough up overpayments is mounting. According to CMS data, RACs recovered $657.2 million in overpayments during the third quarter of fiscal year 2012, up nearly 12 percent from the second quarter of the fiscal year, when $588.4 million was collected, and up more than 60 percent from the first fiscal quarter, when $397.8 million was collected.
By contrast, underpayments returned totaled just $44.1 million during the third quarter, down more than 30 percent from the $61.5 million repaid in the prior quarter. However, the data suggest returned payments are on pace to slightly exceed the $141.9 million returned during 2011. Report (.pdf)