Survival in New Era of Enforcement a Tall Order for Hospitals

Unfortunately, dealing with the enforcement is a tall order for hospitals caught in a tough economic environment, with decreasing reimbursement and increasing regulatory demands. But manage, they must. Because the bottom line is patient care, Taylor said.

"Hospitals that fail to deal with this, that fail to … ensure compliance and ensure revenue integrity, that fail to appeal when appropriate and prevail when they should—those hospitals are going to suffer. And as a result patient access to care will suffer," Taylor says. "It's not just about the payment. It's about the care you can provide."

Editor's note: For more information, listen to sessions from the "Medicare Compliance Forum: A Strategic Approach to RACs, Observation Status, and the Role of Physician Advisors," available via HCMarketplace.com. Recordings from the Observation and Physician Advisor tracks are also available.