Office of Inspector General’s Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Facilities

IV. Conclusion

Through this document, the OIG has attempted to provide a foundation for the process necessary to develop an effective and cost-efficient nursing facility compliance program. However, each program must be tailored to fit the needs and resources of a particular facility, depending upon its unique corporate structure, mission, and employee composition. The statutes, regulations, and guidelines of the Federal health care programs, as well as the policies and procedures of private health plans, should be integrated into every nursing facility’s compliance program.

The OIG recognizes that the health care industry in this country, which reaches millions of beneficiaries and expends about a trillion dollars annually, is constantly evolving. The time is right for nursing facilities to implement a strong voluntary health care compliance program. Compliance is a dynamic process that helps to ensure that nursing facilities and other health care providers are better able to fulfill their commitment to ethical behavior, as well as meet the changes and challenges being placed upon them by Congress and private insurers. Ultimately, it is the OIG’s hope that a voluntarily created compliance program will enable nursing facilities to meet their goals, improve the quality of resident care, and substantially reduce fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as the cost of health care to Federal, State, and private health insurers.

Dated: March 9, 2000.

June Gibbs Brown,
Inspector General.

[FR Doc. 00–6423 Filed 3–15–00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–04–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health

Summary
Background
I. Introduction
II. Compliance Program Elements
   A. The Seven Basic Compliance Elements
   B. Written Policies and Procedures
   C. Designation of a Compliance Officer and a Compliance Committee
   D. Conducting Effective Training and Education
   E. Developing Effective Lines of Communication
   F. Auditing and Monitoring
   G. Enforcing Standards Through Well-Publicized Disciplinary Guidelines
   H. Responding to Detected Offenses and Developing Corrective Action Initiatives
III. Assessing the Effectiveness of a Compliance Program
IV. Conclusion
Appendix