Providers receive misinformation from Medicare call centers.Long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. providers who seek advice from call centers operated by government-contracted Medicare carriers might want to turn elsewhere until the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and (CMS (1) See content management system and color management system. (2) (Conversational Monitor System) Software that provides interactive communications for IBM's VM operating system. ) can better ensure the accuracy of the information being disseminated. That's because the Government Accountability Office The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress, and thus an agency in the Legislative Branch of the United States Government. (GAO) found that only a paltry 4% of the responses it received in 300 test calls to 34 call centers were correct and complete. The GAO attributes the errors to fragmented sources of information, confusing policy information, and difficulties in retaining customer service representatives. The GAO also says CMS's oversight of carriers' call centers is inadequate, noting that CMS performed only one contractor performance evaluation Performance evaluation The assessment of a manager's results, which involves, first, determining whether the money manager added value by outperforming the established benchmark (performance measurement) and, second, determining how the money manager achieved the calculated return related to carrier telephone services in FY 2002 and none in FY 2003. The GAO recommended that CMS develop a process to route questions to staff with the relevant expertise, create clear and easily accessible policy-oriented materials for customer service representatives, and establish an effective monitoring program for call centers. CMS generally agreed with the GAO's recommendations. To read the report, visit www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-669. BY DOUGLAS J. EDWARDS, ASSISTANT EDITOR |
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