Advocacy & Practice Updates — Advocacy & Practice
ASRS, AAO Express Opposition to Medicare Intravitreal Injection Audits
Late last week, ASRS and the American Academy of Ophthalmology sent a letter to CMS opposing recent Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC) audits of 2019 ophthalmic injections claims. We note that the nationwide audits—conducted on behalf of CMS by Noridian—come at an inopportune time when practices are struggling with staffing issues amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend CMS suspend these audits due to the burden on practices, and question whether they will amount to any significant recovery of overpayments since other recent audits of injections have found negligible evidence of improperly billed claims.
(Published 3.23.22)