An annual audit of 200 to 300 hundred claims is typical for self-funded plans today. Unfortunately, while valuable for reviewing a company's financial statements and internal controls, those reviews may not be sufficient for self-funded healthcare plans for several reasons:
Timeliness: An annual audit typically occurs well after the end of the fiscal year. For self-funded health plans, this means that issues or discrepancies in claims processing, payments, or compliance may go unnoticed for a significant period, potentially leading to financial losses or regulatory violations.
Limited Scope: Audits primarily focus on financial reporting and compliance with accounting standards. While this is important, it may not address the specific operational and regulatory challenges faced by self-funded health plans, such as ensuring the accuracy of claims processing, managing provider networks, or adhering to complex healthcare regulations like ERISA.
Changing Landscape: The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, with new regulations, technologies, and payment models emerging regularly. An annual audit may not be agile enough to keep pace with these changes and identify potential risks or opportunities for self-funded health plans.
Data Accuracy: Self-funded health plans rely on accurate and timely data to manage their plans effectively. An annual audit may not be frequent enough to ensure that the data used for decision-making is reliable and up-to-date.
Improper Payment Detection: Improper payment is a significant concern for self-funded health plans. While an annual audit may help identify some instances of erroneous payments, more frequent monitoring and analysis are often necessary to detect and prevent unwanted activity.
Alternatives and Supplements to Annual Audits for Self-Funded Health Plans:
Continuous Monitoring: Implementing ongoing monitoring processes can help identify issues in real time, allowing for faster intervention and correction. This is particularly important for tracking claims payments and identifying improper payments.
Periodic Reviews: Conducting more frequent reviews, such as quarterly or semi-annual assessments, can provide a more timely picture of the plan's financial and operational health.
Targeted Audits: Focusing audits on specific areas of concern, such as high-cost claims, stop-loss insurance reimbursements, or potential ERISA compliance risks, can be more effective than a superficial annual claims review.
Data Analytics: Utilizing data analytics tools can help identify trends, patterns, and anomalies that may indicate potential problems or opportunities for improvement in areas like utilization rates or provider performance.
By combining annual audits with these additional measures, self-funded health plans can gain a more comprehensive and timely understanding of their plan's performance, identify potential risks and cost-saving opportunities, ensure regulatory compliance, and make informed decisions to optimize their healthcare spending.
Comments