(a) General rule. Errors identified for the Medicaid and CHIP improper payments measurement under the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 must affect payment under applicable Federal or State policy, or both.

(b) Data processing errors.

(1) A data processing error is an error resulting in an overpayment or underpayment that is determined from a review of the claim and other information available in the State's Medicaid Management Information System, related systems, or outside sources of provider verification resulting in Federal and/or State improper payments.

(2) The difference in payment between what the State paid (as adjusted within improper payment measurement guidelines) and what the State should have paid, in accordance with federal and state documented policies, is the dollar measure of the payment error.

(3) Data processing errors include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Payment for duplicate items.

(ii) Payment for non-covered services.

(iii) Payment for fee-for-service claims for managed care services.

(iv) Payment for services that should have been paid by a third party but were inappropriately paid by Medicaid or CHIP.

(v) Pricing errors.

(vi) Logic edit errors.

(vii) Data entry errors.

(viii) Managed care rate cell errors.

(ix) Managed care payment errors.

(c) Medical review errors.

(1) A medical review error is an error resulting in an overpayment or underpayment that is determined from a review of the provider's medical record or other documentation supporting the service(s) claimed, Code of Federal Regulations that are applicable to conditions of payment, the State's written policies, and a comparison between the documentation and written policies and the information presented on the claim resulting in Federal and/or State improper payments.

(2) The difference in payment between what the State paid (as adjusted within improper payment measurement guidelines) and what the State should have paid, in accordance with the applicable conditions of payment per 42 CFR parts 440 through 484, this part (431), and in accordance with the State's documented policies, is the dollar measure of the payment error.

(3) Medical review errors include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Lack of documentation.

(ii) Insufficient documentation.

(iii) Procedure coding errors.

(iv) Diagnosis coding errors.

(v) Unbundling.

(vi) Number of unit errors.

(vii) Medically unnecessary services.

(viii) Policy violations.

(ix) Administrative errors.

(d) Eligibility errors.

(1) An eligibility error is an error resulting in an overpayment or underpayment that is determined from a review of a beneficiary's eligibility determination, in comparison to the documentation used to establish a beneficiary's eligibility and applicable federal and state regulations and policies, resulting in Federal and/or State improper payments.

(2) Eligibility errors include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Ineligible individual, but authorized as eligible when he or she received services.

(ii) Eligible individual for the program, but was ineligible for certain services he or she received.

(iii) Lacked or had insufficient documentation in his or her case record, in accordance with the State's documented policies and procedures, to make a definitive review decision of eligibility or ineligibility.

(iv) Was ineligible for managed care but enrolled in managed care.

(3) The dollars paid in error due to an eligibility error is the measure of the payment error.

(4) A State eligibility error does not result from the State's verification of an applicant's self-declaration or self-certification of eligibility for, and the correct amount of, medical assistance or child health assistance, if the State process for verifying an applicant's self-declaration or self-certification satisfies the requirements in Federal law or guidance, or, if applicable, has the Secretary's approval.

(e) Errors for purposes of determining the national improper payment rates.

(1) The Medicaid and CHIP national improper payment rates include, but are not limited to, the errors described in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section.

(2) Eligibility errors resulting solely from determinations of Medicaid or CHIP eligibility delegated to, and made by, the Federally Facilitated Exchange will be included in the national improper payment rate.

(f) Errors for purposes of determining the State improper payment rates. The Medicaid and CHIP State improper payment rates include, but are not limited to, the errors described in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section, and do not include the errors described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(g) Error codes. CMS will define different types of errors within the above categories for analysis and reporting purposes. Only Federal and/or State dollars in error will factor into the State's PERM improper payment rate.

[82 FR 31185, July 5, 2017]