Home Health & Hospice Week

Hospice survey deficiencies are the newest item under the feds’ microscope.

Every good compliance plan should identify areas that are likely targets for tight scrutiny from authorities. Now you may need to update your red flag list more frequently than before, thanks to a change in how the HHS Office of Inspector General operates.

Then: Up until now, the OIG has “updated its public-facing Work Plan to reflect … adjustments once or twice each year,” the watchdog agency says on its website.

Now: “Effective June 15, 2017, OIG will update its Work Plan website monthly,” the agency says.

The OIG’s “work planning process is dynamic and adjustments are made throughout the year to meet priorities and to anticipate and respond to emerging issues with the resources available,” the OIG explains. This change “will enhance transparency around OIG’s continuous work planning efforts.”

Pay attention: A hospice topic makes it onto the OIG’s first “Recently Added Items” list. The OIG is investigating “Trends in Hospice Deficiencies and Complaints,” according to the Work Plan website.

“Previous OIG reports identified numerous vulnerabilities and raised concerns about the limited enforcement actions against poorly performing hospices,” the OIG says. “As part of OIG’s ongoing commitment to address quality of care, we will determine the extent and nature of hospice deficiencies and complaints and identify trends.” The OIG expects to issue its report on this topic in 2018.

Note: The Work Plan website at https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/workplan/index.asp includes links to the “Recently Added Items” list and “Active Work Plan Items.”