CERT Process for Handling a Providers’ Allegation of Record Destruction
The CERT Documentation Contractor and the CERT Review Contractor will check various public and commercial sources to verify the facts surrounding claims that CERT-requested medical records were destroyed by a disaster. For CERT purposes, a “disaster”, is defined as any natural or man-made catastrophe which causes damages of sufficient severity and magnitude to partially or completely destroy or delay access to medical records and associated documentation. Natural disasters would include hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, mudslides, snowstorms, tsunamis. Man-made disasters would include terrorist attacks, bombings, floods caused by man-made actions, civil disorders, or explosions. A disaster may be widespread or impact multiple structures or be isolated and impact a single site only. When the CERT Documentation Contractor/CRC is contacted by a provider indicating that they cannot submit the requested medical records because they were destroyed by a disaster, the CERT Documentation Contractor/CRC will ask the provider to attest under penalty of perjury to the destruction of medical records. Click the link below for a copy of the attestation form. Providers who need to use this form can print and fax the form to CERT Documentation Contractor who will either retain the form or send it to CRC depending on which contractor sent the initial request letter for medical record documentation to the provider.