RAC Program Moves Ahead After Delay

For a while, CMS’s Recovery Audit Contractor program was on hold, held back by a stop-work order instituted over a dispute involving vendor contracts. Now, however, CMS has resolved the dispute and has made plans to move ahead with the national rollout of the program.

The RAC program, which was suspended last November, has already proved controversial, with a number of providers questioning the fairness of auditors’ conclusions. PRG-Schultz, meanwhile, has come under additional scrutiny, in part because it’s co-owned by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

To settle the vendor challenges, two contractors that first filed a protest with CMS over the business arrangements will serve as subcontractors to two permanent RAC contractors. PRG-Schultz International will serve as a subcontractor to HealthDataInsights, and Viant Health Payment Solutions will subcontract to Connolly Consulting.

This article can also be found at www.fiercehealthcare.com.