Not since Operation Restore Trust (ORT) in the mid-1990s have homecare providers faced a greater source of grief.

RACs recouped almost $250 million in overpayments, taking nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in revenue away from homecare providers.

The pilot program was a huge success. As a result, the CMS is rolling out a permanent, nationwide program this year.

How do you protect your agency from this scrutiny? In this audio conference series, you will learn:

• The threats that RACs present
• What’s at risk now and what challenges may be lurking
• How to reduce exposure and eliminate the danger
• How to conduct your own internal audit
• What tools to use to defend your agency from denial
• How to survive a RAC review
• How to respond to denials and follow through on the appeal process

RACs and Threats to Your Agency

This session will discuss:

• The CMS rationale for the RAC program and how it came to be
• The RACs objectives—who they are, how they will operate
• How to respond to a RAC request for information
• Major concerns facing homecare agencies
• Coverage, utilization, and practice issues at risk

Preparing for RAC Scrutiny

This session will explore:

• How the lessons we learned in ORT can help you prepare for the RAC program
• What factors will be used to expose target agencies
• Ways to identify your agency’s risks
• Pre-emptive strikes such as clinical record audits, staff education, and documentation techniques
• Home health aide and medical social services involvement with the RAC program

The RAC Audit: Defensive Strategies

This session will examine:

• A primer on fraud and the role of RACs in the CMS effort to control this abuse
• Why “reasonable and necessary care” will be a central focus
• Strategies for nurses and therapists to strengthen reasonable and necessary care
• “Suspicious” practices involving ranges, physician authorization, occupational therapy services, and more

After a RAC Audit: Your Rights & Appeals

This session will reveal:

• The penalties and punishments that RACs and fraud investigators can impose on agencies
• An agency’s rights
• The steps in the appeals process—how it works, tips to consider, and the results
• An action plan for dealing with RACs in the future

Beacon Health is a Division of HCPro, Inc.

HCPro, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation

This educational activity for 1.0 (per session) nursing contact hours is provided by HCPro, Inc.