AOPA has contacted DMERC officials and requested that Medicare temporarily suspend its auditing activities of facilities in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina. Our request is aimed at ensuring that O&P practitioners in the affected region will have an adequate funding stream to repair and/or rebuild their patient care facilities.
Region C has agreed to stop its auditing activity in these states. If a claim is under review, the DMERC will expedite the release of the money involved in these claims. Also, for claims from these states that have been targeted for additional documentation requests, the DMERC will release the claim and pay it. Finally, the DMERC is considering turning off all service-specific and provider-specific edits in these states.
In order to take advantage of this temporary moratorium on auditing activity, AOPA advises O&P professionals in these three states to contact the following Region C DMERC officials: Charlene Craven at (803) 763-5372 or Joette Gdovin at (803) 763-7202.
************************************************************* Posted 9-2-05 at 10:00 a.m. E.D.T.
American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association T: 571-431-0876 330 John Carlyle Street, Suite 200 F: 571-431-0899 Alexandria, VA 22314 www.AOPAnet.org
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