While there appears to be a rise in false claims cases related to Medicare and Medicaid's EHR Incentive Program, there are some signals healthcare providers and IT personnel can look out for to potentially identify fraud at their organizations.
The EHR Incentive Program was established in 2009 to motivate more healthcare providers to implement and demonstrate "meaningful use" of their EHR technology. Incentive payments are given to providers who can prove that they have met certain requirements, such as measures for addressing security risks of the EHR.
Here are five tips to help recognize possible EHR fraud, according to Baron and Budd law firm:
1. If a provider receives more financial reimbursement from government programs after implementing the EHR than when it used paper records.
2. The EHR system presents common glitches for routine tasks like split billing.
3. If patients' notes documented in the EHR indicate possibly being copied and pasted.
4. If the EHR has been "hardcoded," or fixed in a way that it cannot be easily altered, in order to pass tests for certification.
5. If the provider receives financial compensation for promoting the use of a specific EHR software.
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