OIG: Incorrect coding on physician claims leads to $33.4M in Medicare overpayments: 5 quick facts

The Office of the Inspector General has released the Incorrect place-of-service claims resulted in potential Medicare overpayments costing millions report. Here are five quick facts to know.

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1. The report covers claims covering services provided from January 2010 to September 2012.

2. During those years, Medicare contractors made $33.4 million in overpayments, due to physicians not correctly coding the place of service on physician claims.

3. The $33.4 million in overpayments for incorrectly coded services included:

•    $18.2 million in potential overpayments for services of unselected hospital outpatient location-based claims
•    $7.3 million in potential overpayments for services performed in ambulatory surgery centers
•    $7.1 million in potential overpayments for services performed in hospital outpatient locations
•    $800,000 in potential overpayments for services of 33 selected physician who claim they were not responsible for the incorrect billing

4. A previous OIG report covering calendar years 2005 through 2009 found $62.7 million in overpayments for physician services.

5. The potential overpayments uncovered in the 2015 report are attributed to internal physician billing control weaknesses and insufficient post-payment reviews at the Medicare contractor level.

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