NAIMES members getting Comparative Billing Reports on oxygen

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2012—The National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers (NAIMES) says that some of its members are now receiving Comparative Billing Reports (CBR) on home oxygen services. The reports show a provider’s billing in comparison to other providers.

“While CMS indicated that this program is not meant as an indicator of fraud, it does show if you are billing higher than your peers, which could be a red flag,’’ NAIMES said last week in its newsletter.

NAIMES noted that the CBRs do not take into consideration extraneous circumstances that could cause higher billing rates. NAIMES also noted that there is a contact number on the reports that providers can call for further explanation.