A report from the HHS Office of Inspector General has found Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center overbilled Medicare more than $2.24 million over a three-and-a-half-year stretch.
The OIG looked at 490 inpatient and outpatient claims CMS paid to Cedars-Sinai between Jan. 1, 2008, and June 30, 2011 — a sample size of only 0.07 percent of claims CMS actually paid to Cedars-Sinai during that period. The government found Cedars-Sinai complied with Medicare billing requirements on only 81 of the 490 claims. Most of the errors came on the inpatient side, totaling $1.87 million of the Medicare overpayments.
In its recommendations, the OIG said Cedars-Sinai should refund the $2.24 million in Medicare funds and strengthen its compliance with Medicare billing requirements. Cedars-Sinai officials agreed with the OIG and have started addressing billing issues on both the inpatient and outpatient side.
The OIG looked at 490 inpatient and outpatient claims CMS paid to Cedars-Sinai between Jan. 1, 2008, and June 30, 2011 — a sample size of only 0.07 percent of claims CMS actually paid to Cedars-Sinai during that period. The government found Cedars-Sinai complied with Medicare billing requirements on only 81 of the 490 claims. Most of the errors came on the inpatient side, totaling $1.87 million of the Medicare overpayments.
In its recommendations, the OIG said Cedars-Sinai should refund the $2.24 million in Medicare funds and strengthen its compliance with Medicare billing requirements. Cedars-Sinai officials agreed with the OIG and have started addressing billing issues on both the inpatient and outpatient side.
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