AAHomecare Continues Call for Provider Data

Providers urged to participate in the DME Cost Study and 2Q Audit Key survey to bolster industry’s case for bidding, audit reforms.

• By David Kopf
• Aug 04, 2016

The American Association for Homecare is calling on providers to complete surveys for two studies it will use to make the industry’s case  on Capitol hill for reforming competitive bidding and the Medicare audit program.

AAHomecare’s Cost Study Analysis tracks providers’ fixed and variable costs across multiple product categories that are under threat by competitive bidding pricing, in order to generate hard numbers on the impact of CMS’s bid program.

AAHomecare commissioned research firm Dobson DaVanzo & Associates LLC to conduct the study, which began the week of July 18. The study focuses on selected products from oxygen, sleep, manual wheelchairs, hospital beds, and walkers. All organizational data will be kept confidential and reporting will be in the aggregate only.

Providers participating in the cost study will receive a report that will give them a breakdown of their overall costs per category, and that lets them compare their performance to that of the overall industry.

To participate in this study, download the survey’s MS Excel worksheet at http://bit.ly/2aiIaoc, and send the completed file to Steven Heath at Dobson DaVanzo, steven.heath@dobsondavanzo.com. 

Providers with questions can contact Dobson DaVanzo’s Heath via email or Laura Williard, senior director of payor relations for AAHomecare, at lauraw@aahomecare.org or (336) 451-1934.

Additionally. AAHomecare’s HME Audit Key, currently needs providers’ 2Q audit data, regardless of heavily or lightly they are audited. They survey collects providers’ audit data in order to give the industry the kind of hard numbers that make a strong argument for reforming CMS’s audits and easing the financial burdens those audits are having on providers.

In addition to helping reform efforts, providers can use Audit Key to compare their audit experience to industry averages. Providers can access their quarterly survey results, as well as aggregate survey results against which they can compare their data.
Audit Key does not require providers to submit data on individual claims, but instead seeks cumulative counts of pre- and post-payment audits and appeal claim outcomes under DME MAC, RAC and SMRC reviews.

Providers can register for the program at www.hmeauditkey.org and enter their audit data. A slide and audio presentation, as well as other information to help providers get started is at www.aahomecare.org/advocacy/hme-audit-key.

HME businesses needing help registering or entering their information in the Audit Key system can get it via a contact form at http://www.hmeauditkey.org/Home/Help, emailing support@hmeauditkey.org, or by calling 1-844-HME A KEY (844-463-2539).