Medical Review

Medical review is the collection of information and clinical review of medical records by Palmetto GBA to ensure that payment is made only for services that meet all Medicare coverage, coding and medical necessity requirements. Medical review activities are directed toward areas where data analyses indicate questionable billing patterns.

The goal of the medical review program is to reduce payment errors by identifying and addressing billing errors made by providers concerning coverage and coding. To achieve the goal of the medical review program, Palmetto GBA:

• Proactively identifies patterns of potential billing errors concerning Medicare coverage and coding made by providers through data analysis and evaluation of other information (e.g., complaints)
• Reviews data analysis reports
• Takes action to prevent and/or address the identified error
• Publishes local medical review policies via Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) to provide guidance to the public and medical community about when items and services will be eligible for payment under the Medicare statute

Additional Resources

• CMS Publication 100-08, Medicare Program Integrity Manual, Chapter 3 (PDF)
• CMS Medical Review and Education web page
• Education On Demand