Update (Aug. 7, 5pm): CGS has corrected the topic code for this review. The topic code will be 5101T, not 5101IT.

Medicare administrative contractor (MAC) CGS has announced a widespread review of hospice claims for patients with Alzheimer's, debility and chronic airway obstruction.

The topic code for the review will be 5101IT and the claims targeted by the review will be scrutinized for the medical necessity of hospice services in those cases.

CGS says it initiated the review because a recent probe edit of hospice claims showed that documentation often did not support a terminal diagnosis for these types of patients.

For more information on this new review, go here.