Hanger Inc. has developed an interactive online resource designed to help O&P providers navigate the recovery audit contractor audit process.
“The administrative burden of the RAC audits continues to strain the O&P industry, often shifting valuable time and resources away from what’s most important — patient care and customer service,” said Hanger President and CEO Vinit Asar. “It is Hanger’s responsibility to help the industry navigate regulatory and legislative headwinds and elevate O&P in the healthcare space. That’s why we’ve created the RAC Navigation Tool and are making it available for use by all in O&P.”
The new RAC Navigation Tool was designed to help clarify and streamline the process of responding to audits by providing an interactive mapping of the process along with options to review the details and recommended guidelines of each step. The tool also delivers downloadable, standardized documents for clinicians to use.
“Unfortunately, for now, the audits are a new normal for the O&P industry,” Asar said. “While the RAC Navigation Tool is designed to ease the administrative burden, we still need to address the heart of the problem. We are actively working with AOPA and other industry leaders to carefully lobby for course corrections to the process and to educate legislators on the O&P patient care delivery model. We understand the need for legislation that protects against fraud and abuse in our industry, but we need to work with CMS to ensure a proper and effective process is in place.”
“We applaud Hanger’s decision to develop a resource for all O&P providers,” said Tom Fise, American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) executive director. “Being unified in our lobbying and communications with CMS is critical, but so is streamlining our responses to these various audits. The more effective and efficient we can be in our responses, the better it is for our industry and our patients.”
The free Hanger RAC Navigation Tool is available at www.Hanger.com/RAC.
