Colorado Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program

About the Colorado RAC Program

RAC Program Purpose

Under Section 6411(a) of the Affordable Care Act, each state must contract with a contingency-fee-based vendor to review provider claims. The purpose of the review is to reduce improper Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) payments through the efficient detection and collection of overpayments, the identification of underpayments and the implementation of actions that will prevent future improper payments. See also CRS Section 25.5-4-301 and 10 CCR 2505-10, Sections 8.050 and 8.076.

In November 2009, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13520 which aimed at reducing improper payments by increasing transparency in government and holding agencies accountable for reducing improper payments. A year later, Section 6411 of the Affordable Care Act was enacted, directing each state Medicaid program to establish a program in which it contracts with one or more recovery audit contractors for the purpose of identifying underpayments and overpayments and recouping overpayments.

The purpose of the RAC is to reduce improper payments while also presenting billing education opportunities to providers to improve the accuracy of claims submitted to the Department for reimbursement. Under the RAC, all provider types will be audited. The RAC vendor will audit the following types of claims: Health First Colorado fee-for-service, waiver services, managed care, and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) claims. HMS will conduct post-payment claims reviews of provider-submitted Health First Colorado paid claims to determine whether services were actually provided, medically necessary, coded correctly, and properly paid or denied.

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