Knowledge Base Article

Q:

What information will a Review Contractor accept when reviewing a record for medical necessity of the services provided?

A:

The answer can be found in Chapter 3 of the Medicare Program Integrity Manual. Specifically, Section 3.3.2.1 – Documents on Which to Base a Determination indicates that “The MACs, CERT, Recovery Auditors, and ZPICs shall review any information necessary to make a prepayment and/or postpayment claim determination, unless otherwise directed in this manual. This includes reviewing any documentation submitted with the claim and any other documentation subsequently requested from the provider or other entity when necessary. Reviewers also have the discretion to consider billing history or other information obtained from the Common Working File (in limited circumstances), outcome assessment and information set (OASIS), or the minimum data set (MDS), among others.

For Medicare to consider coverage and payment for any item or service, the information submitted by the supplier or provider must corroborate the documentation in the beneficiary’s medical documentation and confirm that Medicare coverage criteria have been met.”

This guidance applies to Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT), Recovery Auditors, and Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs).