CMS Announces Recovery Audit Contractors for Permanent Program
On October 6, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the names of the new national Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs). The new RACs are:
- Region A — Diversified Collection Services, Inc. of Livermore, CA: initially working in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York
- Region B — CGI Technologies and Solutions, Inc. of Fairfax, VA: initially working in Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota
- Region C — Connolly Consulting Associates, Inc. of Wilton, CT: initially working in South Carolina, Florida, Colorado and new Mexico
- Region D — HealthDataInsights, Inc. of Las Vegas, NV:, initially working In Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakotas, Utah and Arizona.
The Society's leadership has previously met with CMS staff responsible for overseeing the activities of the RAC to identify a plan for developing and educating the RAC medical directors and others on the appropriate guidelines (PDF, 70K) for determining when it is necessary for a patient to receive a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) device as an inpatient.
The Heart Rhythm Society has asked to meet with the four medical directors overseeing the contractor work. The Society is also working with the American Hospital Association to agree on the guidelines and to prepare electrophysiologists and their hospitals for these audits. Audits are now projected to begin early in 2009 and be fully implemented by January 2010.
Additional states will be added to each RAC region in 2009 (view expansion schedule (PDF, 88K)).
For more information about the RAC Permanent Program, please visit the CMS website.
