OIG & HCAA Resource Guide [Healthcare Compliance Tips]

Analyze and compare the OIG & HCCA Resource Guide to your compliance program.

In our fourth week discussing, our series called The Comeback Story: 9 Compliance Resources to Level Up Your Practice, I shared why you need compliance resources to build a program.

Our next essential resource is:

OIG & HCCA Resource Guide

Purpose:

A group of compliance professionals and staff from the Department of Human and Health Services (HHS), and the Office of Inspector General (OIG), attended a roundtable meeting on January 17, 2017.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ideas for measuring the various elements of a compliance program.

After this meeting, the guide entitled, “Measuring Compliance Program Effectiveness: A Resource Guide” was issued on March 27, 2017.

How to Use It:

When this guide was introduced, I was very excited to see an updated version that provided actual examples to apply to a compliance program.

Keep in mind that they stick close to the 7 Elements of an Effective Compliance Program as discussed in tip number one. The good news is that they provide ideas and examples to get your mind churning, since it is a struggle for most practice owners and managers to do.

The following compliance program elements have been included in their review:

• Standards, Policies, and Procedures
• Compliance Program Administration
• Screening and Evaluation of Employees, Physicians, Vendors and other Agents
• Communication, Education, and Training based on Compliance Issues
• Monitoring, Auditing, and Internal Reporting Systems
• Discipline for Non-Compliance
• Investigations and Remedial Measures

This guide is perfect because it provides you with “what to measure” and “how to measure it”, for each necessary component.

Remember, it is not required that you include all the suggestions listed, but instead, tailor it specifically to your practice needs. I also suggest that you collaborate with another practice (same specialty) to discuss how they plan to use the guide.

**The opinions and observations from the group/author are not a promise to exempt your practice from fines and penalties.  Research, modify and tailor the advice to fit your specialty.

Click here for the next tip in the series.