Home Health & Hospice Week

How often do you review your compliance plan? It seems like not even a week can go by without hearing about a home care provider accused of Medicare fraud. But fraudulent activity isn't always as blatant as agencies paying big cash kickbacks to referring physicians. Compliance issues can often be so subtle that you don't even know they exist until an investigator points them out to you. Here are five steps that can help you avoid legal issues in your agency. 1. Draw up and institute a sound compliance plan. The HHS Office of Inspector General gives providers compliance guidance for a reason, so if you don't have a plan, time is of the essence. A well-thought-out compliance plan indicates that your company has made a good-faith effort to comply with national Medicare and local contractor requirements. If you have a plan in place and can demonstrate that you abide [...]