Many providers are receiving notices that they must complete a Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) training program from Medicare Advantage Plans. In 2007, CMS regulations mandated that Medicare Advantage (MA) programs require MA providers to take a FWA training program once a year, beginning in 2009. However, in response to concerns from the provider community, CMS has recently proposed to revise this requirement. In the Oct. 22 Federal Register Proposed Rule, CMS stated that individuals who were enrolled as Medicare providers should not be required to complete the FWA training because it was redundant to the Medicare requirements for enrollment. This proposal has not become a final regulation, but will most likely become final next year. At this point, MA providers are required to take the FWA training. Many individual MA plans are offering their own FWA training courses. An example of an available training course can be accessed here.
