HHS OIG Issues Report on IRF Coding of Transfers

On January 13 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued to  TrailBlazer Health Enterprises (Dallas, TX) its final report entitled Review of TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, LLC Payments For Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Claims Billed With Patient Status Code 05 For Calendar Year 2007.  HHS OIG concluded that inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) incorrectly coded 24 of the 41 claims that it reviewed with patient status code 05. HHS OIG said that because IRFs did not use the appropriate transfer codes on these claims, TrailBlazer made $162,000 in overpayments for miscoded transfers to 10 IRFs in calendar year 2007. The report includes a response from Trailblazer as well as links to several job aids and training materials that Trailblazer offered to providers. FMI: See http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/11000500.asp. For a copy of the report see http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/11000500.pdf

Information Courtesy PARF