There were a total of 2,921 hospitals that were included in the analysis. The top 200 coding hospitals selected consist of four peer groups: Rural-non-teaching, Urban-non-teaching, Minor Teaching and Major teaching facilities. The top 50 coding hospitals from each category were selected to be included in the Top 200. The hospitals that were selected were facilities with Case Mix Indexes above their predicted CMI, and OIG Risk Scores below their predicted percentage. From there the 50 top hospitals that had the largest combined percent variance from their predicted Case Mix Index and OIG Risk Score were selected. The statistics studied were from the 2006 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) file. The selected hospitals were identified as achieving the best combination of complete and compliant coding. “More specifically, the study identified hospitals that achieved higher than expected Medicare Case Mix Indexes (CMIs), a good indication of effective documentation and coding practices, without engaging in risky practices as measured by our “OIG Report Card,” one of the standard reports included in HospitalBenchmarks.com.” said INGENIX officials. Lower OIG Risk Scores suggest a lower risk of upcoding, and more compliant coding performance.

Cumberland Medical Center’s coding staff has a combined 92 years of experience. The Coding Staff strives to code as accurately and ethically as possible with the documentation provided. Congratulations to the Coding Staff for a job well done!