Meaningful Use Compliance: Surviving CMS and State Audits, Preparing for Penalty Enforcement

Description

Millions of dollars are at stake for healthcare providers implementing systems to meet the meaningful use requirements for electronic health records (EHR). Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, healthcare providers participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program must have adopted meaningful use certified EHR technology (CEHRT) to avoid facing reduced Medicare reimbursement.

While CMS audits of eligible providers and hospitals have been conducted for the last two years, the increased number of entities participating in the Incentive Program has raised the stakes of these audits. CMS will conduct both prepayment and post-payment audits, with a focus on protected health information (PHI) and security risks. Failure could result in CMS clawing back incentive payments and knowingly false claims could result in civil penalties and criminal prosecution.

To prevail through a CMS audit, counsel to healthcare providers must ensure the provider has the proper documentation and measures in place to demonstrate compliance regarding CEHRT security, business associate agreements and more.

Listen as our experienced panel of healthcare counsel examines meaningful use, the requirements under the Medicare incentive program and red flags, and offers best practices for compliance. The panel will also discuss meaningful use audits and provide guidance for audits