Risk Assessment – All or Nothing?
Every provider is aware of the need to conduct periodic compliance-based risk assessments, yet the process often seems overwhelming. When a risk assessment is more objective in nature, (i.e. OSHA or environmental) it is much easier to get our mind around exactly what needs to be done, what we are looking for, and how to […]
Will Congress Agree on Anything?
Every four years those of us in the world of health care wait to see what a new administration might bring our way. Where the Biden administration has many things on its wish list, two things we can expect to come down the pike actually have bipartisan support (yes, it does still happen once in […]
Think Again!
Spring is not only the season for birds to sing in the morning, days to get longer and all the plants to come alive again; it is also the season for renewing my malpractice insurance. This year, before I could obtain a quote for my renewal, I had to watch a video on fraud in […]
Wearing Stripes in a Rocking Chair
On February 23, 2021 the Department of Justice issued a press release about an administrator of a California hospice agency who was ordered to pay $2.1 million and serve 30 months in prison for his part in a $28 million Medicare fraud scheme. The administrator paid illegal kickbacks to patient recruiters for referring people to […]
Get Better Today
There is a whiteboard hanging on the wall that I see every time I walk out of my office. It has been used in the past for brainstorming, for planning, and for visually depicting the new way we do business. For several weeks it has been blank. This morning I wrote two simple sentences on […]
What Do You Do First?
It seems there is never enough time, and certainly not enough money, to do everything an organization wants to accomplish, especially when it comes to matters of compliance. Operations seems to get “first dibs” on resources because that is where the money is made. This leaves non- revenue departments, such as compliance, in a position […]
Pulling the Sides Together
There is no denying that our county is in an interesting time. While this certainly is not the darkest time in history, there is a great deal of division and mistrust in our nation, and our society right now. Right vs. left, mask vs. no mask, vaccine vs. anti-vaxxer. The issues that seem to divide […]
What Will the New Administration Bring?
We are 10 days from the start of a new administration in Washington, and it is safe to say the world of health care will feel the impact of the new administration in the not too distant future. This blog post is not intended to be political in any way, rather, is intended to shed […]
Compliance New Year’s Resolutions
As we turn the page on what can only be described as a “one of a kind” year we have a tremendous opportunity to look back at 2020 and really evaluate how the compliance program performed, and where 2021 might provide some opportunities to improve, change direction or re-tool the program. The pandemic forced providers […]
Consider the Annual Review of Compliance Policies in a New Light
As part of the annual compliance program plan of work, nearly every provider includes a review of the policies that make up the program. You may not want to admit it for your organization, but typically that annual review of policies takes about 5 minutes when the compliance officer asks the members of the compliance […]
“Systemic Noncompliance” – The New OCR Buzz Phrase
On September 21, 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a press release announcing a $1.5 million settlement with Athens Orthopedic Clinic. The basis for the breach report that led to the settlement was the fact a journalist notified Athens Orthopedic a database of their patient records had been posted online for sale. Two […]