Navigating Medicare Audits and Appeals

Compliance Conversations by Healthicity

Medicare audits can be a daunting challenge for any healthcare provider. With a maze of regulations, different types of audits, and a complex appeal process, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why we invited Alicia Shickle, AHFI, CHC, CPC, CPCO, CPMA, CRC, the President and CEO of ProCode Compliance Solutions LLC, to share the knowledge and strategies you need to navigate this tricky terrain. Tune in to the episode as we discuss: - The top issues that trigger Medicare audits - How to prepare your practice and avoid common pitfalls - The five levels of Medicare appeals and how to effectively manage them - Why proactive compliance programs are crucial for your practice Thank you, Alicia, for sharing your time and expertise with us! About Alicia Shickle Alicia has decades of clinical and administrative healthcare experience. Her areas of expertise include revenue cycle integrity, documentation, coding and billing compliance, Medicare, MSP, and Medicaid regulations, practice workflow and operations, compliance program assessments, development, and implementation. Alicia provides advisory services to attorneys, healthcare administrators, providers, and organizations. She frequently works with business litigation and health law practices on fraud and abuse intervention and providing independent and objective assessments for both plaintiff’s and defense teams. She works closely with clients on both routine and complex documentation and coding reviews. She provides in-depth coding and claims data analysis, education, and assists providers with navigating complex regulatory and policy requirements, identifying and mitigating potential FCA risks while optimizing revenue. She has extensive experience developing and implementing effective compliance programs including all seven elements. Alicia served as the Director of Compliance for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). She has worked with some of the top consulting and health law practices and, was a Family Practice Administrator for over a decade. Alicia has presented educational training boot camps and seminars nationally on compliance, documentation and coding, and practice management. She was a medical billing and coding instructor at a community college. She is a frequent author for online physician blogs, and journals. Alicia is an Accredited Health Care Fraud Investigator (AHFI) with the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA), and is certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC, CPCO) through the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), and AAPC. She is a Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA), and certified in Risk Adjustment Coding (CRC). She is also a Certified Physician Practice Manager (CPPM). Alicia is an active member of the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and served as the President of AAPC’s Manhattan Local Chapter for two years. She is a member of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), and the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA), and American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA). She is a member of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists (NAMAS), and a member of Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).