Medicare Financial Management Manual (Pub. 100-06), Ch. 8 § 60.1.1
Audit Confirmation Letter (a.k.a. Engagement Letter) - Field
60.1.1 – Audit Confirmation Letter (a.k.a. Engagement Letter) - Field
Audit
(Rev. 107, Issued: 09-22-06; Effective: 10-01-06; Implementation: 10-02-06)
The field audit confirmation letter should give a minimum of 4 weeks and a maximum of
6 weeks notice of the contractor’s intent to make an onsite visit for the purpose of
conducting a field audit (see Exhibit II in §170 of this chapter for a sample letter). The
engagement letter should be provider-specific and must include the following:
• A list of the required documents that are to be made available by the provider on
the first day of the audit.
• Date of the entrance conference. (Enclose the entrance conference agenda –
Exhibit III in §170 of this chapter.)
• A request that the provider assign a contact person to be the audit liaison.
• A tentative pre-exit conference date set for the last day of fieldwork. (Enclose the
pre-exit conference format – Exhibit V in §170 of this chapter.)
• Notice that an exit conference will be tentatively scheduled during the pre-exit
conference to occur within 8 weeks (or longer if extenuating circumstances arise)
after all the outstanding documentation is furnished by the provider.
• Notice to the provider that all documentation and records requested prior to and
during the fieldwork time must be given to you in a timely manner and that failure
to produce documentation will result in non-negotiable audit adjustments.
• Notice to the provider that, as a general rule, you will not honor any reopening
requests for the “lack of documentation” adjustments. This policy has no impact
on the normal provider appeal rights with the Provider Reimbursement Review
Board.