AOPA ALERT -- Audit Relief in Parts of Region C

AOPA ALERT -- Audit Relief in Parts of Region C

Kathy Dodson

9/2/2005

AOPA has contacted DMERC officials and requested that Medicare
temporarily suspend its auditing activities of facilities in the states
of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama due to the impact of Hurricane
Katrina. Our request is aimed at ensuring that O&P practitioners in the
affected region will have an adequate funding stream to repair and/or
rebuild their patient care facilities.

Region C has agreed to stop its auditing activity in these states. If a
claim is under review, the DMERC will expedite the release of the money
involved in these claims. Also, for claims from these states that have
been targeted for additional documentation requests, the DMERC will
release the claim and pay it. Finally, the DMERC is considering turning
off all service-specific and provider-specific edits in these states.

In order to take advantage of this temporary moratorium on auditing
activity, AOPA advises O&P professionals in these three states to
contact the following Region C DMERC officials: Charlene Craven at (803)
763-5372 or Joette Gdovin at (803) 763-7202.