The Obama administration's statements ratchet up the
pressure on health systems to enhance case management and to
prepare to defend against the rising wave of FCA
investigations.
Recent news out of the Obama administration and the U.S.
Department of Justice points toward new initiatives that will
target health systems by requiring more billing and coding audits
to identify Medicare overpayments for services rendered to
patients. These audits, in turn, may prompt increased False Claims
Act (FCA) exposure.
The media, including the Wall Street Journal, reported
on March 10, 2010, President Obama's statement that the
government would be pursuing more aggressive auditing of providers
in order to recover overpayments. The recovery of overpayments is
intended to trim health care costs and to counter critics of the
health care reform effort. "President Orders Expanded
Audits," Wall Street Journal, March 10, 2010. The
president made specific reference to auditors
