The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), modified its Work Plan to announce that the agency will be conducting a nationwide audit of hospitals that participated in the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program (also known as the Meaningful Use Program).  The OIG review is focusing on hospitals that received Medicare EHR incentive payments between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2016.

The OIG’s modification to its Work Plan follows last month’s report that CMS improperly paid an estimated $729 million in Medicare EHR incentives. In our prior client alert, we flagged these findings as a potential area for significant overpayment recovery actions and noted that such actions could pose risks for incentive payment recipients. Read our entire client alert on the OIG’s nationwide audit on hospitals that participated in the EHR Incentive Program Here.