You're not the only one wondering where is CMS's Comprehensive Error Rate Test (CERT) report for 2009. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) fired off a letter to HHS and CMS asking: what's the hold up?
He writes:
"Medicare is a massive entitlement program that spends hundreds of billions of tax dollars every year, yet this is the second year without an authoritative audit that provides a breakdown of payment error rates by provider type. Without this kind of assessment, administrators and policymakers aren't galvanized, as they ought to be, to do everything possible to better safeguard program dollars for beneficiaries and taxpayers. This is especially problematic in light of the impending insolvency of Medicare. Whatever the reason for the agency's inability to provide the data, the result is ineffective management of scarce Medicare dollars."
Earlier this month, CMS told Part B News the agency will release CERT soon. Sen. Grassley requested CMS give him an explanation on why it's taking the agency so long. Hopefully CMS officials will CC us on their response.
Update: CMS has already released a fee-for-service error rate of 7.8%, which amounts to $24.1 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2009. That error rate is almost double the mid-year rate released for 2008. The full, 2009 CERT report with a detailed breakdown of errors is what Grassley and others want.