Documenting and coding correctly can earn you more money.  Weak documentation can lead to reduced reimbursement and potential litigation.  Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) is reviewing more and more claims.  The result is more physicians are audited and, in growing numbers, paying back significant sums to CMMS.

These risks can be reduced significantly by having an independent Certified Procedural Coder with a Health Information Management certification audit some of your charts.  In many instances, the cost of the audit is outweighed by the benefit of higher reimbursement.

Risk is also reduced, as auditing is a key element in a compliance plan.  Compliance plans can reduce the risk of penalties and sanctions should CMMS, or Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systems (AHCCCS), find deficiencies in your documentation.

For more information on coding and documentation, contact Diana Reed at DCReed@wolfecon.com, or call Diana at (602) 324-0439.

For more information on a compliance plan, contact Robert Chiffelle at robertc@wolfecon.com, or call Bob at (602) 324-0456