What action must a small medical center take to comply with a Medicaid Corporate Integrity Agreement?

To comply with a Medicaid Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA), a small medical center must engage in regular auditing of medical charts. This requirement stems from the need to ensure that the facility is adhering to billing practices, compliance with healthcare regulations, and quality of patient care. Auditing medical charts allows the center to monitor and evaluate healthcare services against the standards set forth in the CIA, such as preventing fraud and ensuring appropriate billing practices.

This practice is essential because it helps identify any discrepancies or areas needing improvement in patient care documentation and serves as a safeguard against potential compliance issues. By conducting these audits, the medical center demonstrates its commitment to integrity and compliance with Medicaid regulations, which is a key aspect of the CIA.

The other options, while they may contribute to overall management and governance within a healthcare facility, do not specifically address the requirements set out in a Medicaid Corporate Integrity Agreement. For example, reviewing personnel records may be beneficial to assess staffing and training needs, but it does not directly relate to auditing compliance with Medicaid regulations. Similarly, hiring litigation lawyers or conducting board member chart reviews would not provide the focused oversight on billing and compliance issues mandated by the CIA.