Subscribe to RSSI had the opportunity to speak with a hospice executive director this week who stopped by the Weatherbee offices for a visit during her vacation/workshop on Cape Cod. She talked about how challenging it is to keep up with issues like the RACs given the amount of information she needs to absorb and process each day. We also received a number of emails this week in response to the last e-newsletter asking us why we are focusing so much attention on the RACs and why they are important. I thought perhaps a broad RAC overview in organized sound bites might be helpful. (more…)
Archive for August, 2009
RAC Sound Bites
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 by hpwilsonNews from the RAC Forum 08/26/09
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 by hpwilsonDespite the overwhelming response to RAC Assistance for Hospice, none of the more than 600 registered users have ventured to post a question/update/concern in the RAC Forum. However, we have received a number of email questions. (more…)
RAC Update 08/26/09
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 by hpwilsonThere is not much new since the update last week so we will provide a recap of the current status of each RAC. (more…)
Know Your RAC
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 by hpwilsonCMS has awarded contracts to cover the four RAC regions. The more we know and understand about all the RACs in general, the better prepared we will be to deal with them. It is particularly important for hospices to become familiar with the RAC for their region. Let’s take a look at each one. (more…)
RAC Update 08/18/09
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 by hpwilsonConnolly Healthcare and HealthData Insights, the RACs for Regions C and D respectively, are leading the RAC pack in having issues approved by CMS in order to begin automated reviews of hospital claims. Connolly was the first RAC to have seven approved issues posted on their website. HDI was not far behind and it is expected that the other two RACs will also focus on these initial seven areas for automated reviews of hospital claims. Hospice does not seem to be on the RAC radar screen at the moment (long may that last!) and the RACs are not allowed to begin automated or complex reviews of hospice claims until they have offered provider outreach and had hospice-related issues approved by CMS. Click here for an interesting article from RAC Assistance for Home Care regarding outreach training that was provided in New Jersey.
Diversified Collection Service (DCS) the RAC for Region A recently updated its website with FAQs and a sample demand letter. Click here to see their provider portal.
News from the RAC Forum 08/18/09
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 by hpwilsonThe RAC Forum was officially launched on August 13th and to date has not seen much activity although hundreds of hospice professionals have already registered to participate. As we wait for more activity, this is a good opportunity to talk about what the RAC Forum is and how it might be helpful in the future. (more…)
RAC Assistance for Hospice is launched
Monday, August 17th, 2009 by hpwilsonWithin an hour of the official launch of RAC Assistance for Hospice, more than one hundred hospice professionals and others registered at www.racassistance.com to subscribe to this e-Newsletter and to participate in the RAC Forum. This response may be indicative of the degree of concern hospices have about RAC scrutiny. A number of emails we received from individuals who received the announcement of RAC Assistance for Hospice expressed appreciation for having access to a RAC resource that is hospice-specific. (more…)
Welcome
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 by hpwilsonRAC Assistance for Hospice is a service provided by Weatherbee Resources to help hospices deal with Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) scrutiny and to monitor and assess the impact of the RACs on hospices across the country.
One feature of RAC Assistance for Hospice is an e-Newsletter, published in collaboration with Tim Rowan of Home Health News, providing timely information, specific to hospices, regarding RAC activities and issues as they emerge. Since we don’t yet know how significant the impact of the RACs will be, our goal is to use this interim period of time to help hospices position themselves so they are ready for whatever scrutiny the RACs may bring.
Our strategy is simple: P-E-M (Prepare -Educate - Manage). This approach to the RACs, developed by Weatherbee Resources, will focus on the following:
- Prepare - conduct a baseline compliance audit to assess levels of risk
- Educate - learn everything possible about the RACs and what they do; intensify training to clinicians on documenting patient eligibility; and
- Manage - develop a comprehensive management response to the RACs.
Please join us by clicking here to subscribe to the RAC Assistance for Hospice e-Newsletter and participate in the RAC Forum to help us monitor RAC activity and do what we can, together, to minimize the RAC threat to the financial viability of hospices.
The P-E-M Strategy: Prepare
Sunday, August 9th, 2009 by hpwilsonThe first component of the P-E-M approach for dealing with the Recovery Audit Contractors is to prepare. Preparation for the RACs includes conducting a baseline compliance audit to assess the hospice’s vulnerability and risk. It also includes getting ready for “RAC attacks” by making certain appropriate personnel are assigned key responsibilities essential to building a RAC infrastructure. This may already be in place for hospices that have had to deal with Additional Development Requests (ADRs) or other types of scrutiny - now it must be as fine-tuned and formalized as possible.
The articles and resources in the Prepare category of RAC Assistance for Hospice will address what hospices need to do now to prepare for the RACs.
The P-E-M Strategy: Educate
Sunday, August 9th, 2009 by hpwilsonThe very best, and maybe only defense against the RACs is education. The P-E-M strategy for dealing with the RACs focuses on education on two levels: 1) learning everything possible about what the RACs do, who they are and what to expect from them; and 2) making absolutely certain that all of the hospice’s clinical staff know how to assess patients for eligibility (for hospice care and for higher levels of care such as general inpatient and continuous care) and how to appropriately and thoroughly document that eligibility.
The articles in the Educate category of RAC Assistance for Hospice address these two areas: education about the RACs and about documentation.
