OIG Issues EHR Fraud Survey

Attention, hospitals that have attained meaningful use status: The U.S. government may be asking you some tough questions as part of its oversight mandate, and you will have to answer quickly.

Providers have until Friday, October 26, to respond to an 18-page, 54-question survey probing their electronic health record system data entry habits, security practices, and more.

The letter originated in the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services, whose work plan published earlier this year includes "identifying fraud and abuse vulnerabilities in electronic health record (EHR) systems."

Recent reports in the New York Times concluded that some providers have used EHRs to inflate Medicare charges. Those reports prompted letters calling for investigation of the Meaningful Use program by Republicans in both the House and the Senate.