Recovery Audit Contractors: CMS Delays Implementation Date
On Feb. 1, 2011, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will not enforce the original April 1, 2012, deadline for states to implement their Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) because there are state operational issues, and because CMS needs to ensure that states comply with the provisions of the final rule.
CMS anticipates that the final rule will be isued later in 2011.
States have to pass state plan amendments in order to implement the Medicaid RAC.
Medicaid RAC programs were created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to review and recover claims for improper payments, underpayments, and overpayments.
LeadingAge submitted comments regarding the proposed rule in January 2011.