Is your practice on track with providing CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse training? For many busy medical practices, the answer to this question is unfortunately “no.” And while you may be planning to finalize your training when you get around to it, that’s simply not good enough for Medicare. Why? Because CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse training is mandatory every year.
Check out three tips for simplifying your annual CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse training strategy.
- Know Who Needs Training
Spotting fraud, waste and abuse at your practice isn’t just the responsibility of your compliance officers. Instead, the CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse training program should be presented annually to:
- Employees
- Contractors
- Volunteers
- Governing body members
For instance: Suppose your practice has a board of directors, six full-time employees, a freelancer who comes in once a week to organize medical records, and a volunteer who comes in once a week to advise patients about local domestic abuse resources.
Every single one of these people should receive annual CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse training at your office.
- Your Training Must Cover Detection, Prevention and Correction
It’s not enough to train staffers on how to report fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) when they see it. You must advise them on how to detect it to begin with, correct it, and prevent it going forward as well.
Your training should be very clear about where your team should report FWA violations if they see it, along with who to contact with questions. Explain that fraud, waste and abuse violations may not be obvious, and that staffers may need to dig deeper and ask more questions if they see something amiss.
For instance, your biller may be checking files to make sure the right number of units of every code was submitted accurately. But are they also checking the record for medical necessity for all of the services they bill? If not, they may be missing a key avenue for finding fraud, waste and abuse.
- Keep Records of Training Sessions
After you complete your required annual CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse training, you must keep a record of the training sessions for 10 years. If CMS or another payer asks for proof that you complied with the training requirements, you’ll need to have the documentation readily accessible.
This means storing it in your practice or a nearby record repository, or on a computer drive that practice employees can easily access. If you need to request these records from an offsite vendor weeks ahead of time, that may not be enough to comply with CMS’ rules.
| Failure to comply with CMS’ training requirements could cause you to lose the ability to bill Medicare for any services. Don’t take that risk! Let healthcare attorney Amanda Waesch, Esq., share the step-by-step strategies to complying with the training rules. During her 60-minute online training session, Guarantee Compliance: Required Fraud, Waste and Abuse Training, Amanda will help your practice avoid any fines and penalties that noncompliance could cause. Register today! |