Corporate Practice

AAEM members who attended the 7th Annual Scientific Assembly in Orlando had the opportunity to meet with Graham Rawsthorn and Mina Zadeh from the Evaluation and Inspections Division of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

OIG is conducting an evaluation in the area of emergency department staffing groups* and Medicare provider numbers due to proposed legislation requested by the Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA). EDPMA has requested that staffing groups be allowed to obtain a Medicare provider number. This would allow Medicare payments to be paid directly to staffing groups without the need for the lock box accounts now used by staffing groups.

AAEM members provided the OIG evaluators with copies of contracts between staffing groups and hospitals and examples of the variations in costs between staffing groups and independent democratic groups. Others gave testimonials on quality of care issues.

OIG asked those in attendance to send sample contracts between staffing groups and physicians as well as contracts between staffing groups and hospitals. These documents can be significantly useful for OIG's evaluation. If you have copies of such contracts, please send them to:

Mina M. Zadeh
Lead Analyst
Office of Inspector General
Office of Evaluation & Inspections
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth St., S.W., Suite3B80
Atlanta, GA 30303-8909
Phone: (800) 334-4878
Fax: (404) 562-2994
E-mail: mzadeh@os.dhhs.gov

If you would prefer, you can send copies to the AAEM office and we will forward them for you. To retain confidentiality, there is no need to include your name on such correspondence. However, including your name and number will enable OIG to contact you for further information. If you have cost comparisons between staffing groups and independent democratic groups, please provide these as well.

The Office of Evaluation and Inspections, OIG plans to send a survey to a random sample of emergency physicians. If you receive such a survey, please complete and return it.

*Staffing groups = CMG's