Physicians, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum Update

http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/ODF_pnahp.html

See below for the proposed agenda for the Special Open Door Forum: Improving Documentation for Chiropractic Services scheduled for 1:30-pm-3pmET on Thursday, September 24, 2015. We look forward to your participation. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.  

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Special Open Door Forum:

Improving Documentation of Chiropractic Services

Agenda

Thursday, September 24, 2015

1:30 – 3:00 PM ET

Conference Call Only

Participant Dial-In Number: (800) 837-1935

Conference ID #: 33191909

1.  Opening Remarks

Jill Nicolaisen (Office of Financial Management/CMS)

Chair - Richard W. Whitten, MD, MBA, FACP

Contractor Medical Director; VP Health Policy; Noridian Healthcare Solutions

Moderator –   Natalie Highsmith (Office of Communication/CMS)

1.  Discussion Questions

•  Improving Documentation of Chiropractic Services – Richard W. Whitten, MD, MBA, FACP

•  Chiropractic Services have had the highest rate of improper payments for Medicare Part B services according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program. How prevalent do you think it is that chiropractors are unaware of Medicare regulations such as Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) and the Internet Only Manual (IOM)?

o   What do you think is the underlying cause of this problem?

•  How do you gain access to information on how to properly document your chiropractic services?

•  How do you envision a successful nationwide effort to improve documentation by chiropractors once the education plan rolls out?

•  What is the best way to broadly promote and ensure participation of busy chiropractors in the educational program to improve the ability of chiropractors to document?

•  Past OIG evaluations have found between 40 and 47% of all paid chiropractic claims were for maintenance therapy which Medicare does not cover- do you think that chiropractors misunderstand the use of the AT modifier? If so, why?

•  Why do you think that chiropractors do not send in information requested by the Medicare contractors which is an automatic denial for lack of medical necessity?

III. Open Q&A