OIG Releases Health Care Provider Compliance Videos
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released the first of 11 short video and audio presentations for health care providers on top health care compliance topics.
The newest step in OIG's award-winning Provider Compliance Training initiative, these free videos and audio podcasts-averaging about four minutes each-cover major health care fraud and abuse laws, the basics of health care compliance programs, and what to do when a compliance issue arises.
"We know that the overwhelming majority of health care providers are working hard to comply with Federal laws and regulations," said Daniel R. Levinson, HHS Inspector General. "These videos are designed to guide them in further enhancing their compliance efforts."
These educational presentations will be posted on the OIG Web site at the start of each week over the next 3 months (with no release during the week of December 26).
Today's video and audio podcast discusses OIG exclusion authorities, which are the legal means by which OIG may bar certain individuals and entities from participating as providers in all Federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Future presentations will cover the Federal Anti-kickback statute, the False Claims Act, the Physician Self-Referral Law, OIG guidance and resources, compliance program basics, tips for implementing an effective compliance program, the importance of documentation, OIG's Self-Disclosure Protocol, reporting fraud to OIG, and using OIG's exclusions database.
"These presentations provide an overview of the importance of promoting a culture of prevention, detection, and resolution of compliance problems," said Lewis Morris, Chief Counsel to the Inspector General. "The easily accessible podcasts further support compliance personnel who are on the front lines of advising providers regarding the Federal fraud and abuse laws and company policies."
A new OIG provider compliance "widget," also released today, can be embedded in non-OIG Web sites, allowing easier access to OIG provider compliance materials. Web users can click on the widget, which contains a hyperlink to the OIG Provider Compliance Training Web page, where users can access the latest videos and audio podcasts on compliance issues, as well as information from previous educational sessions.
OIG will tweet about the Provider Compliance Training videos and audio podcasts as they are released using the hashtag #OIGcompliance, which Twitter users are encouraged to include when tweeting about the presentations.
OIG hosted free, in-depth compliance sessions-sponsored by the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT)-in spring 2011 in six cities across the country. In addition to the 700 in-person attendees, OIG also reached a national audience of thousands of Webcast participants via the Internet. The Provider Compliance Training Initiative won a 2011 Excellence Award from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, which represents the Federal Inspector General community.