Home Health & Hospice Week

Don't stop with the OIG guidance. Crafting or updating your organization's compliance plan can seem like an overwhelming task, but you have lots of help if you know where to look. The first stop for your compliance plan research should be the HHS Office of Inspector General's compliance guidance at www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/complianceguidance.asp. The OIG issuedmodel compliance programs for home health agencies in 1998 and hospices and durable medical equipment suppliers in 1999. Your compliance plan should contain seven key elements, according to the OIG plans: 1. Implementing written policies, procedures and standards of conduct; 2. Designating a compliance officer and compliance committee; 3. Conducting effective training/education; 4. Developing effective lines of communication; 5. Enforcing standards through well-publicized disciplinary guidelines; 6. Conducting internal monitoring and auditing; and 7. Responding promptly to detected offenses and developing corrective action. But don't assume you can download the guidance and call yourself done. "The Compliance [...]