Media Contacts:
Caitlin Lukacs: (703) 812-0218 | clukacs@acatoday.org
Melissa Lee: (703) 812-0259 | mlee@acatoday.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2008
Office of Inspector General Seeks Chiropractic Records
ACA Offers Informational Assistance to Doctors who Receive Record Requests
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the agency responsible for identifying and reporting inefficiency in Medicare, Medicaid and other related HHS programs, announced in its 2008 Work Plan that it would again seek records from doctors of chiropractic as a follow-up to its 2005 report on chiropractic documentation.
"ACA strongly urges all doctors of chiropractic who receive an OIG record request to contact the association for assistance on how to fully comply with the request,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “Timely response to an OIG record request is mandatory, and ACA representatives are available to help you navigate the OIG request process.” **
Official OIG record requests will be sent on letterhead that clearly states “Office of the Inspector General.” Upon receipt of an OIG request, it is critical that doctors of chiropractic include all necessary information and complete the request by the date specified by the OIG, noted John Falardeau, ACA’s vice president of government relations.
In addition to those doctors who recently received an OIG record request, ACA would also like to hear from providers who have already submitted their information to the agency.
The 2005 OIG Report, which was based on a random sampling of claims data from 2001, concluded that 67 percent of the claims examined as part of the study contained documentation errors or omissions that led to what the OIG considered to be inappropriate reimbursement under Medicare. The report also extrapolated that U.S. taxpayers could save more than $280 million per year if improperly documented claims filed by chiropractors were not paid by Medicare.
To contact ACA regarding an OIG record request, send an e-mail to gr@acatoday.org or acamedicare@aol.com.
**ACA’s assistance is designed to provide authoritative information to help doctors of chiropractic fully and accurately comply with the OIG request. This assistance is provided with the understanding that ACA is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. |
