Health care is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States. There is no area of the health care practice that doesn’t fall under the scrutiny of a regulatory body. Having a compliance plan can mitigate your risk.
A compliance program, which is recommended for all medical practices and clinical labs, is a comprehensive program to prevent and detect violations of law or policy. It comprises a number of important functions including:
- Defines expectation for employees for ethical and proper behaviors when conducting business
- Demonstrates the organization’s commitment to “doing the right thing”
- Encourages problems to be reported
- Provides a mechanism for constant monitoring
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has substantial guidance on the implementation of a compliance program. The OIG website has other resources, including opinion letters, fraud alerts and open letters from the OIG to the health care industry.
Questions? Contact Nancy Sullivan at
