Avoid RAC Technical Denials in Order to Protect Reimbursement

While providers should do their best to avoid technical denials, Levitt knows firsthand that any hospital can slip up. At her former hospital, Levitt discovered they submitted incomplete documentation to a RAC after a copy service didn't realize the hospital charted on both sides of its paper medical records. The service copied the records as if there was only information on one side.

"When I would get 150 pages of a chart, I’d assume everything was there," said Levitt. But when she looked more closely she discovered the error. "I can’t tell you the amount of work that created, plus the costs added up. And it can delay your appeals."

But whenever possible, limit the possibility of a technical denial by meticulously tracking all deadlines for record submissions and by being careful and thorough when submitting records to ensure documentation is complete. Few hospitals can afford unnecessary loss.