CMS provides comparative billing reports to chiropractors

September 28, 2010 — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with SafeGuard Services to provide comparative billing reports (CBRs) to doctors of chiropractic.  

The CBR will include information on DC billing patterns and how chiropractors compare to their peers. Specifically, DCs will receive information on how their average number of services per beneficiary compares to their state average and to the national average. 

Chiropractors will also receive information on their use of secondary diagnosis codes and how frequently they reported one-two, three or four or more secondary diagnosis codes, as well as which individual codes they used most frequently. These reports are intended to help providers self audit and determine if changes may need to be made in their billing practices. 

Chiropractors are the second provider type to receive these types of reports — in August, CBRs were sent to 5,000 physical therapists across the country. Additionally, a pilot study of the chiropractic CBRs was conducted in Wisconsin for 150 doctors of chiropractic. CBRs will be provided to the DCs in the Wisconsin pilot study in early October. 

Chiropractors in Wisconsin who were part of the pilot study will also receive a follow up phone call from SafeGuard Services to ensure that the CBR was received. A total of 5,000 CBRs will be released to DCs nationwide in late October. The CBRs are not intended to be made public, but are only intended for the provider who receives the report. 

Source: American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.org