Report Materials
The objective of our review was to determine whether
Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital (the Hospital)
submitted
inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF)
claims that met Medicare requirements.
The Hospital submitted numerous IRF claims that did not meet Medicare
requirements. For 47 of the 100 claims in our sample, an IRF was not the
appropriate setting for the beneficiaries. Based on the sample results, we
estimate that Medicare overpaid the Hospital approximately $4.8 million for IRF
claims during 2003.
We recommend that the Hospital refund to the Medicare program the $4.8million estimated overpayment for 2003;
identify and refund any overpayments for subsequent years' IRF claims that did not meet Medicare requirements; and strengthen its preadmission screening procedures to provide reasonable assurance that beneficiaries who are admitted for IRF services require treatment at the IRF level of care, are capable of significant practical improvement, and are able to participate in intensive rehabilitation. The Hospital strongly disagreed with our findings and recommendations.
Notice
This report may be subject to section 5274 of the National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2023, 117 Pub. L. 263.