Audits for Medicare fraud put Tennessee doctors on defensive

After 18 months, doctors with Premier Medical Group in Clarksville, TN, can breathe a sigh of relief after an administrative law judge ruled in their favor in a dispute with Medicare. The decision ends a process that began when two employees of a Medicare contractor that searches for billing errors and overpayments showed up unannounced to review 120 claims filed over two years. Premier officials say the inquiry was costly, confrontational and marred by poor communication with the Medicare contractor. Other doctors question whether federal contractors hired to review billing information apply medical codes fairly when deciding if doctors have collected too much for their services.