A new AHIMA toolkit helps HIM professionals steer their organizations through the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program.
The “Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Toolkit” includes background on the program and an overview of the process, including what entities are eligible to be audited, the basis for the audits, and the type of audits. It also includes appendixes providing:
- A preparation checklist
- The hierarchy of authority samples
- A sample of the RAC coordinator job description
- A sample of a RAC policy and procedure
- A RAC record extension request sample
- How to develop a RAC education program
- A presentation sample
- RAC acronyms
- A RAC determination response
- The appeal process workflow
- The Medicare appeals process
- Sample appeal letters
- An appeals submission checklist
The kit was developed by AHIMA’s Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) Workgroup, a subgroup of the Clinical Terminology and Classification Practice Council. It is available free of charge.
AHIMA offers additional toolkits online, including “Copy Functionality Toolkit,” which can help HIM professionals and their organizations develop policies and procedures to allow for the review, audit, and testing surrounding this functionality. The “Health Information Exchange (HIE) Resource Toolkit” outlines the HIM issues in health information exchange, as well as useful Web sites that HIM professionals can reference in preparing for HIE.
Look for two more toolkits on amendments to transcribed reports and amendments for EHRs, which will be released in August.
