EnglishDolcera acknowledged for its unique graphical user interface solution
Each year HHS handles hundreds of millions of Medicare and Medicaid claims valued at over a trillion dollars. Due to the high volume of claims, statistical sampling provides a critical tool to ensure effective oversight of these expenditures. Sampling is used by the providers in their own efforts to monitor their performance and by the various organizations within HHS.
RAT-STATS is a free statistical software package that providers can download to assist in a claims review. The package, created by OIG in the late 1970s, is also the primary statistical tool for OIG’s Office of Audit Services.
Among other tasks, the software assists the user in selecting random samples and estimating improper payments. Unlike a full statistical package that attempts to answer all types of questions for a wide range of users, RAT-STATS serves as a streamlined solution to handle the specific task of developing valid statistical samples and estimates within the healthcare oversight setting.
The objective of the challenge was to develop the foundation for an upgraded version of RAT-STATS. The current version of RAT-STATS is well validated; however, its user interface can be difficult to navigate and the underlying code makes the software costly to update. OIG needed a new, modern version of the software that is easy to use and can be extended in a cost effective manner. In addition, the new version of the software must be 508 compliant.
