Category Archives: OIG Reports

Supplemental Special Advisory Bulletin Clarifies OIG Positions on Independent Charity Patient Assistance Programs

Posted on May 29, 2014 by | Comments Off on Supplemental Special Advisory Bulletin Clarifies OIG Positions on Independent Charity Patient Assistance Programs

Introduction

The OIG has released a Supplemental Special Advisory Bulletin that “reiterates and amplifies” previous OIG Special Advisory Bulletin guidance from 2005. Pharmaceutical manufacturers and Patient Assistance Programs that provide independent, charitable support for patients’ drug expenses (PAPs) should be aware of this supplemental guidance, as the OIG notes that it may modify some previously-issued favorable advisory opinions. Specifically, in this bulletin the OIG expands on its previous guidance regarding disease funds, eligible recipients, and the conduct of donors.

Background

PAPs provide cost-sharing assistance for patients who cannot afford their prescription medications. Continue reading →

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Posted in Anti-Kickback, Civil Monetary Penalty, Compliance Programs, Fraud and Abuse, Health Care, Non-profit, OIG, OIG Reports, Pharmacy, Regulatory Compliance

OIG Issues Report on Limited Compliance with Medicare’s Face-to-Face Requirement for Home Health Services

Posted on April 13, 2014 by | Comments Off on OIG Issues Report on Limited Compliance with Medicare’s Face-to-Face Requirement for Home Health Services

On April 9, 2014, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI) issued a report (OEI-01-12-00390) entitled “Limited Compliance With Medicare’s Home Health Face to Face Documentation Requirements.”

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) requires physicians to physically see and evaluate patients for home health services. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires the physicians to document this face-to-face visit as a condition of payment. The face-to-face requirement was implemented to help prevent fraud in home health. The idea is that requiring physicians to document the specifics of a face-to-face visit with a Medicare beneficiary will help prevent fraud by ensuring the physician actually saw and assessed the beneficiary before certifying the patient as eligible for home health services. Continue reading →

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Posted in Community Based Care, Health & Human Services, Health Care, Health Care Providers, Home Health, Medicare, OIG, OIG Reports, Program Integrity, Regulatory Compliance

HIPAA Security Rule Enforcement Not Yet Meeting Federal Requirements

Posted on December 11, 2013 by | Comments Off on HIPAA Security Rule Enforcement Not Yet Meeting Federal Requirements

A recent Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Report reviews progress made by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) toward enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule following the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) amendments. The OIG found OCR enforcement to be meeting Federal HIPAA requirements in some key areas, but to be wanting in others.

OCR enforcement activities meeting Federal requirements include, (1) making available guidance promoting compliance with the Security Rule; (2) the investigation process for responding to reported Security Rule violations; and (3) proper application of penalties for covered entities found in violation of the Security Rule. Continue reading →

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Posted in DHHS, Health & Human Services, Health Care, Health Information Privacy, Health Information Technology, HIPAA, OIG, OIG Reports, Regulatory Compliance

Office of Inspector General Issues Strategic Plan

Posted on November 27, 2013 by | Comments Off on Office of Inspector General Issues Strategic Plan

The Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a 2014-2018 strategic plan including outlining the visions, goals, and priorities of that office for the upcoming several years. The plan sets forth four goals: 1. Fight fraud, waste and abuse; 2. Promote quality, safety, and value; 3. Secure the future; and 4. Advance excellence and innovation. Each goals is identified with several priority areas that support the stated goal. The report can be found at the OIG’s website http://go.us.gov/WdbV

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Posted in Acute Care, Ambulance, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Anti-Kickback, Assisted Living, Clinical Laboratory, Clinics, Community Based Care, Compliance Programs, Continuing Care, Diagnostic Testing, Disability, Durable Medical Equipment, Fraud and Abuse, General, Health Care, Health Care Providers, Health Care Workers, Health Information Privacy, HIPAA, Home Health, Hospice, Hospital, Intermediate Care Facility, Long Term Care, Long Term Care Hospital, Medicaid, Medicare, Mental Health, Nursing Home, Occupational Therapy, OIG, OIG Reports, OIG Work Plans, Out-Patient Care, Palliative Care, Pharmacy, Physicial Therapy, Physician Assistants, Physicians, Post Acute Care, Primary Care, Regulatory Compliance, Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Hospital, Residential Care, Senior Housing, Skilled Nursing Facility, Supplier, Transportation

Hospitalizations High for Medicare Nursing Home Residents

Posted on November 21, 2013 by | Comments Off on Hospitalizations High for Medicare Nursing Home Residents

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a study on November 17, 2013 studying 2011 hospitalization statistics for Medicare nursing home residents. The report finds that one quarter of Medicare nursing home residents were hospitalized for at least one day in federal fiscal year 2011. The study also reports that Medicare costs for nursing home residents represent 11.4% of the Medicare Part A spending on all hospital admissions during that same year resulting in Medicare paying $126 billion for those stays. Interestingly, high hospitalization rates were not evenly distributed throughout the country and generally nursing homes with lower CMS quality ratings had higher hospitalization rates. OIG recommends to CMS the development of a quality measurement report hospitalization rates for residents in each nursing home and to publicly report such measures. You can find a copy of the study here —> SNF Hospitalization Study

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Posted in Acute Care, Health Care, Health Care Providers, Long Term Care, Medicare, Nursing Facility, Nursing Home, OIG, OIG Reports, Skilled Nursing Facility, Survey and Certification Letters

OIG Report: Finds Questionable Billing of Nearly $17 Million for Sleep Study Services

Posted on October 25, 2013 by | Comments Off on OIG Report: Finds Questionable Billing of Nearly $17 Million for Sleep Study Services

On October 9, 2013, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI) issued a report (OEI-05-12-00340) entitled “Questionable Billing for Polysomnography Services.”  The report found that Medicare paid nearly $17 million for sleep study (polysomnography) services that did not meet one or more of the three Medicare requirements and that 180 providers demonstrated patterns of questionable billing for these services.  The OIG chose to study this issue because Medicare spending for sleep study services rose from $407 million to $565 million from 2005 to 2011, and fraud investigators and sleep medicine professionals have identified specific vulnerabilities regarding polysomnography services.  The findings of the OIG’s report are significant because just as we accurately predicted that the OIG’s December 2010 Report: “Questionable Billing by Skilled Nursing Facilities” would generate increased investigations of therapy services for skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”), the findings in this Report represents an area in which sleep study service providers can also expect increased enforcement. Continue reading →

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Posted in Clinical Laboratory, Diagnostic Testing, Durable Medical Equipment, Fraud and Abuse, Health Care, Health Care Providers, Hospital, Medicare, OIG, OIG Reports, Self-Referral

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OIG Report: Significant Increase in Part B Ambulance Transports from 2002-2011

Posted on September 30, 2013 by | Comments Off on OIG Report: Significant Increase in Part B Ambulance Transports from 2002-2011

On September 24, 2013, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Office of Evaluation and Inspections (OEI) issued a report (OEI-09-12-00350) entitled “Utilization of Medicare Ambulance Transports, 2002-2011″.

The OIG has  in the past focused on overutilization of ambulance transportation and identified these services as an area of concern. This recent report found that the overall number of ambulance transport claims during the time period in question increased by 69%, while the total number of beneficiaries during the time period increased by 7%.  Further, the OIG also zeroed in on transports to or from independent dialysis facilities (dialysis-related transports) which it found had increased 269%. Continue reading →

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Posted in Ambulance, Compliance Programs, DHHS, Fraud and Abuse, Health Care, Medicare, OIG, OIG Reports, Regulatory Compliance, Reimbursement, Transportation