Media contacts:
Ann Potempa,
Public information officer
(907) 269-7957 office
(907) 240-9158 cell
Sarana Schell,
Public information officer
(907) 269-8041 office
(907) 240-7462 cell
PERM Medicaid Review
Each year, Medicaid pays more than $1 billion in medical costs for low-income and often vulnerable Alaskans. From children’s dental care to elders’ medical care, the joint state and federal medical assistance program provides all kinds of needed equipment and services.
Payment Error Rate Measurement, or PERM,is a review of how accurately providers in all 50 states are billing Medicaid. This will let state and federal lawmakers know whether Medicaid payments are being made properly.
Alaska is in the midst of its PERM review, which examines Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) claims paid between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008.
Providers are doing an OUTSTANDING job of providing requested information!
Many PERM errors are simply from documents not being submitted on time. Our provider community is helping to keep Alaska’s error rate low by providing medical record information promptly. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Medical records have been requested for most of the selected Medicaid and SCHIP claims already, but providers may see requests for clarification as well as requests for medical records on new claims.
Please contact us if you have questions about your PERM submittals, at 907-269-0399
After the PERM review is completed, in the fall of 2009, CMS will calculate state-specific and national error rates.
Each state will be required to write a corrective action plan to address PERM findings. The plans will be due by the end of 2009.