Dawn Crump

When organizations fail to include recovery audit contractors and other governmental auditor denials within their overall denial rate, an important piece of the revenue puzzle remains missing.

These tips can help systems prevent audit denials now, and save dollars later.

And why it's imperative that hospitals know about them.

Inpatient rehabilitation services are already a big target area for recovery audit contractors, and there will likely be more denials as audits ramp back up. Providers must remain consistent, proactive and vigilant to protect their revenue.

The Recovery Audit Contractor, or RAC, program is on vacation. CMS has slowed down audit activity in advance of new contracts. Still, this is no time for hospitals to get complacent about their audit management programs.