At the Intersection of CDI and the False Claims Act

A clinical documentation integrity (CDI) professional who “knowingly … acts in reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the information” may ultimately run into issues related to the federal False Claims Act (FCA). The Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Compliance Program on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS).gov website lists several CMS compliance programs designed to educate and support Medicare providers in “understanding and applying” FFS policies. If the hospital compliance department is not monitoring these resources, it would be prudent for CDI leadership to do so, according to CDI expert Cheryl Ericson, who will be the special guest during the next live edition of the long-running Monitor Mondays Internet broadcast. The venerable weekly Internet broadcast will also include these instantly recognizable features: • Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 RCM, will be making his Monday Rounds. • The RAC Report: Healthcare attorney Knicole Emanuel, partner at the law firm of Nelson Mullins, will report the latest news about auditors. • Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser, shareholder in the law offices of Fredrikson & Byron, will join the broadcast with his trademark segment. • Legislative Update: Matthew Albright, chief legislative affairs analyst for Zelis, will report on the latest news concerning healthcare legislation.