This article is a Two-Part series and includes helpful and timely tips to help you prevent (Part 1) or at least begin to prepare for (Part 2) a Meaningful Use (MU) Audit.
Perhaps when you were a kid you had a lot of fun with dominoes and their chain reactions. If you’ve never had fun with dominoes yourself, this YouTube video illustrates the fun.
But with life experience, we’ve all learned that cascading problems (it’s not just falling dominoes anymore!) that begin with a small incident can have big repercussions.
According to a report issued by the United States Government Accountability Office, “CMS anticipates sampling roughly 20 percent of professionals, identified through random sampling as well as some targeted selections.”
It’s that time of year again – time to attest for Meaningful Use! If you’re the lucky person in your organization that has been entrusted to enter the prior reporting period’s information into the CMS website, congratulations! Before you click the “submit” button, consider these eight suggestions:
1 – Do have a second set of eyes. Partner up and enter the information as a Team! It’s helpful to have one person entering the information on the website while a second person is reading the information off of your Meaningful Use Measure Report.
2 – Do allow plenty of time. The website for attestation can be overwhelming. There are lots of questions about exclusions, so read carefully! In addition, when many people are on the website, it tends to run slowly. Attest at off-peak times or allow plenty of time to get your information in.
3 – Do print out the reports and color code them. Have a hard copy of each provider’s Meaningful Use report. Before sitting down to attest, color code each measure. A suggestion would be to color code passing measures green, and exclusions yellow. This visual will make it easier to recognize exclusions while entering information on the website.
4 – Do create an Audit folder for each provider. CMS has the right to audit providers for Meaningful Use up to six years post-attestation. Keep an electronic and a paper folder with the information utilized to attest in case of an Audit. We suggest keeping all data in both locations to support reportable and self-attestation measures (like your Security Risk Analysis for the year).
5 – Do print out the receipt of attestation. Keep the receipt as proof and add it to the provider’s own Audit file.
6 – Do check the email address for the submission. If the provider is selected for Audit, the initial request for information will go to the address that is registered to the attestation account. If your practice currently enters the provider’s email address, consider changing it to an Administrator’s email. This will ensure all emails will be received and responded to in a timely manner.
7 – Do know who your Meaningful Use Audit comes from. If attesting to Medicare Meaningful Use, the CPA firm, Figliozzi and Company, has been contracted to conduct the Audits. Key members of your organization should recognize the Figliozzi name so that an email from them is not ignored.
8 – Do keep track of which providers have been audited, and when. CMS estimates that 20% of providers (1 out of every 5) will be audited during the course of the Meaningful Use Program. This means that if your organization has not received an Audit, it’s likely one is on its way to you. Providers who’ve previously passed Audits are not as likely to receive a second Audit, although it’s possible. It’s very possible that organizations will be audited for multiple providers and multiple reporting years during the course of the MU Program.
Stay tuned! Our next blog post (Part 2 of 2) will feature a list of helpful tips about how to prepare for an MU Audit if you happen to be selected.