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As needed, the infrastructure overview will incorporate the use of internal control
questionnaires (an example is provided as Attachment I) and process flowcharts, and
the examination of sample documents supporting key process controls.
To ascertain that the Compliance Program has developed and maintained clear
lines of authority for Program operations, inquire whether authority to act has
been re-delegated by the Compliance Officer to other staff or campus
management. If re-delegation has occurred, obtain copies of all delegation
forms and determine whether they meet the criteria of the Compliance
Program.
1. Review the Compliance Program's Education Program for the past year
and determine its adequacy by:
a. reviewing a sample of training logs; and,
b. evaluating training materials.
Confidential Disclosures/Hotline
Audit Procedures and Internal Control Questionnaires
Hospital/Facility Compliance Audit Program
1. To ascertain that the Compliance Program has established a confidential
disclosure program, review marketing materials and reports to ensure that
the program:
a. was available to all employees;
b. offered anonymity without the threat of retaliation;
c. publicized existence with emphasis on the confidential, non-retaliatory
nature;
d. provided for a "Confidential Disclosure Log" for compliance issues
(status or disposition of management action taken in response to the
internal reviews);
e. established a mechanism to refer non-compliance issues to the
appropriate department for additional review, and;
f. incorporated a procedure for documenting the initial report, actions
taken to investigate the issue and associated corrective actions taken.
Monitoring
III. Annual Compliance Report Review (Determine whether this section will be
included during the review of HHCP activities). (50 hours)
b. Hospital/Facility Compliance
A description of how the Hospital/Facility Compliance Program has
been integrated into the campus Corporate Compliance Program.
g. Monitoring
a summary of compliance audit and investigation results and an
adequate corrective action plan(s);
a summary of aggregate overpayments returned, categorized by
payer categories;
a summary of the annual review of employees and vendors against
the Federal Sanction Lists; and,
a description of major external audits, and the status/outcome, as
applicable.
2. Determine that controls are in place to ensure that treatment consent forms are
reviewed and signed by the patient prior to admission, or in the event of patients
requiring an immediate medical screening examination, as soon as reasonably possible
thereafter.
3. Determine that effective financial screening procedures are in place to ensure the
capture of correct guarantor/insurance information, authorization to assign benefits,
and completion of Medicare Secondary Payer questionnaire, if appropriate.
Audit Procedures and Internal Control Questionnaires
Hospital/Facility Compliance Audit Program
- Determine that the process of obtaining financial information does not violate
EMTALA standards for initial medical screening and stabilization of the patient.
5. Determine that standardized policies exist and are enforced for professional courtesy,
community relations adjustments, etc.
6. Determine that mechanisms exist and are effective to identify whether outpatient
services have been rendered within 72 hours of an inpatient admission, including
services that may have been rendered at non-UC facilities.
7. Determine that transfers are properly distinguished from discharges, and that
centralized logs are maintained to indicate the disposition of transferred patients.
2. Determine that a process is in place to assure that the diagnosis is accurate, that the
resultant treatment plan medically conforms to the documented diagnosis, and that
charges billed are supported by properly completed medical record documentation.
CODING
1. Determine whether coding staff are Certified Coders or have been encouraged to
obtain certification.
Audit Procedures and Internal Control Questionnaires
Hospital/Facility Compliance Audit Program
2. Determine whether coding staff have been provided sufficient training and access to
payer specific guidelines and current CPT, HCPCS, and ICD-9 coding manuals.
3. Determine whether the methods of charge capture ensure that all services and supplies
have been properly identified for each encounter.
4. Determine whether controls are in place to assure that assigned coding is accurate, and
that mechanisms exist to deter upcoding or DRG creep.
CHARGEMASTER
1. Determine that controls are in place to assure the accuracy and completeness of
procedure codes, corresponding alpha descriptions, and related costs contained in the
chargemaster.
2. Determine that procedure codes have been established to properly bundle charges in
accordance with payer regulations and to prevent inappropriate unbundling of charges.
3. Determine that the chargemaster interface to the billing systems properly designates
and translates non-billable services.
4. Determine whether controls are in place to identify and ensure the appropriateness of
any overridden codes.
PATIENT ACCOUNTING
2. Determine that procedures are in place to monitor and refund credit balances on a
timely basis.
3. Determine that co-payments and deductibles are properly billed, if not collected at the
time of service.
4. Determine that mechanisms exist and are effective to timely capture outpatient services
rendered within 72 hours of an inpatient admission and to properly link those services
to the inpatient account for billing purposes.
5. Determine whether cancelled charges are processed timely, prior to claim preparation
and submission.
Audit Procedures and Internal Control Questionnaires
Hospital/Facility Compliance Audit Program
6. Determine whether claims are sufficiently evaluated for accuracy (particularly of
charges, diagnosis, and procedural coding) prior to submission to the payer.
COST REPORTING
1. Determine that financial ledger and supplemental information systems provide for the
accurate capture and reporting of costs and other statistical data within the Medicare
cost reports.
2. Determine that procedures are in place within the financial ledger system or via manual
processes to identify unallowable costs.
3. Determine that unallowable costs are excluded from the cost reports.
4. Determine that completed cost reports are adequately reviewed for accuracy prior to
approval and submission.
1. Determine whether controls are in place to ensure that vendors with which the campus
does business are aware of the campus compliance program and their related
obligations to comply with federal and state regulations.
2. Determine whether processes are in place to ensure that the campus does not do
business with sanctioned or excluded vendors.
3. Determine whether controls are in place to ensure that practice acquisitions are
appropriately handled in accordance with legal requirements.
EMPLOYMENT/PROVIDER CREDENTIALING
1. Determine that Human Resources and other responsible hiring units (e.g., the Medical
Staff Office) have processes in place to ensure that newly hired and incumbent staff are
without sanctions and, if applicable, properly licensed.
PHYSICIAN CONTRACTING
1. Determine that controls are in place to ensure that physician contracts or other
physician compensation mechanisms do not provide incentives for referrals.
2. Determine that any joint ventures to which the campus is a party are appropriately
administered to prevent illegal financial arrangements, incentives, or conflicts of
interest.
Audit Procedures and Internal Control Questionnaires
Hospital/Facility Compliance Audit Program
3. Determine that physician education and monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure
that all patients who are members of health maintenance organizations with which the
campus has contracts are provided with covered services.
4. Determine that no financial arrangements have been established which would expose
the campus to Stark self-referral violations.
Attachment A
Proposed Internal Control Questionnaire (ICQ)
1. Has the Compliance Program implemented practices in all seven key elements of an effective
Compliance Program as defined in OIG guidance?
2. Does the Compliance Officer report to senior level management and have sufficient resources
to complete key program responsibilities?
3. Does the Compliance Committee include members from all related health sciences operations?
Is the charge to the Committee well defined and are members encouraged to provide input
about key campus issues?
4. Has the Compliance Officer re-delegated authority for conducting Program activities to
another member of the Compliance organization? If so, how is the delegation documented?
6. Has the campus implemented a confidential Hotline for communication of potential non-
compliance? How is the Compliance Program included in the resolution of Hotline
complaints?
7. Is monitoring being performed in all of the key Compliance activities including Laboratory,
Home Health, Clinical Research, Hospital and Professional Fee Billing?
8. Are coding issues communicated to the appropriate management level (to ensure that changes
will be made?) Is follow-up performed to ensure that coding improves?
9. Does the compliance program have a process for identifying the type of behavior that
warrants disciplinary action? If such incidents have occurred, was the prescribed program
process followed?
10. Has the Compliance Program developed standard criteria for determining when refunds to
Medicare or other payers are required?
1. Is the overall scope of activities subject to monitoring activities well defined (e.g., in a manner
similar to an audit universe)? If so, please describe.
2. Does the hospital/facility compliance program have an articulated goal with respect to
coverage of the universe over time? If so, please describe.
Attachment A - Page 1 of 3
Attachment A
Proposed Internal Control Questionnaire (ICQ)
General [OIG] workplan, pertinent issues of the Federal Register, recent OIG findings, and
other available information sources).
4. Is there an annual review plan that is documented and measurable against the “universe” of
auditable activities? Please describe the plan and its level of detail, and any tracking of plan
execution.
Monitoring Activities
6. How is coverage within each overall risk area (admissions, quality assurance, coding,
chargemaster, patient accounting, cost reporting, purchasing, employment/provider
credentialing, physician contracting) determined and coordinated?
7. Who is responsible for performing monitoring reviews? Describe the scope of monitoring
reviews.
8. Are any diagnostic techniques employed (e.g., profiling, denial rates)? Who performs these
analyses? Describe.
9. When charges are examined, are billing samples drawn from all bills or only federal payers?
10. What is the typical sample size and what is the sampling unit (bill, or line item of service)?
12. Does the Compliance Office assure that errors are corrected?
Reporting
14. Are conclusions clearly expressed, recommendations documented, and action plans offered by
auditee?
15. Are reports distributed to the Compliance Committee? Describe distribution protocol.
16. Is there any tabulation of cumulative report findings, common deficiencies, refunds triggered
etc., and are these summaries provided to the Compliance Committee? Describe contents and
distribution.
Attachment A - Page 2 of 3
Attachment A
Proposed Internal Control Questionnaire (ICQ)
17. Is a management response required? Please describe protocol for resolution of identified
issues.
Attachment A - Page 4 of 3