Point of View

RAC: When You Need a Consultant
Many healthcare facilities have either not prepared for the inevitable demand letters and record requests, or they have prepared for the audits but still have some loose ends to tie up. Some of these outstanding issues are related to the question, “when do I need to use a consultant?” The single, biggest difference with the RAC audits relative to other healthcare payment audits is that everyone will be subject to scrutiny at some level.
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Uncertainty of Estate Taxation and Importance of Estate Planning
In 2001, Congress enacted the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA). The EGTRRA reflects congressional cooperation on several issues including tax rate reduction, estate tax repeal, marriage penalty relief, education incentives, child tax credit increase, pension reform, and alternative minimum tax relief. Congress designed the EGTRRA to meet budgetary constraints by phasing the provisions in and out over a ten-year period, with a projected sunset in 2011 that would reinstate the tax law as it was prior to the enactment of the EGTRRA.
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Physician Practice Risk Areas – Are you minimizing your risks?
There are many routine components to the daily operations in a physician practice. Understanding the compliance pitfalls and incorporating preventative measures into these daily routines can pay off should your practice encounter an audit or investigation. These pitfalls may include non-compliance in claims submission, Stark laws, recruiting and hiring practices, and having vague or out-of-date financial policies. This article addresses some of the significant compliance risk areas for physician practices and suggests steps you can take to help mitigate risk in these areas.

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