Compliance program fatigue is nothing new. Over at least the last 15 years, health care organizations have jumped in head first, put together detailed manuals and taken the plunge. However, reimbursement cuts, quality initiatives, RACs, ZPICs, whistleblowers, physical plant renovations and simply significant industry challenges got in the way of sustaining an efficient and effective compliance effort. Health care organizations have also become desensitized to the barrage of compliance education, enforcement press releases, audits and reviews and other shock-value communications on the importance of regulatory compliance. In that vein, this very article may get lost in the shuffle, although, we hope it doesn’t.
An efficient and effective compliance effort with your organization is extremely important, if only as an insurance policy against government scrutiny. Additionally, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, H.R. 3590 (“ACA”) includes requirements that CMS implement mandatory compliance program requirements for all providers and suppliers. In a distinct section of ACA, nursing home mandatory compliance programs were given a specific implementation timeline. Continue reading
