January 9, 2012
OIG Releases Health Care Provider Compliance Videos
On December 5, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") Office of Inspector General ("OIG") began releasing eleven short video presentations for health care providers that focus on a variety of compliance topics. These videos are free and are part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team ("HEAT") Provider Compliance Training initiative. Each video is approximately four minutes in length and is designed to give providers an overview of a specific compliance topic. In the OIG's press release, HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson stated that these videos are intended to help providers further enhance their compliance efforts.
To date, the OIG has released the following four compliance videos: (1) Exclusion Authorities & Effects of Exclusion; (2) Federal Anti-kickback Statute; (3) False Claims Act; and (4) Physician Self-Referral Law. Future compliance videos will be released over the next seven weeks, beginning the week of January 9, 2012. The remaining compliance videos are expected to cover a wide range of topics including: (1) compliance program basics; (2) tips for implementing an effective compliance program; (3) the importance of documentation; (4) OIG guidance and resources; (5) the OIG's Self-Disclosure Protocol; (6) reporting fraud to the OIG; and (7) using the OIG's exclusions database.
In addition to the compliance videos, the OIG announced the creation of an OIG compliance widget, which may be imbedded on providers' or other non-OIG websites to allow website users to easily access OIG provider compliance materials, including video webcasts and presentation materials, without having to search or navigate through the OIG's own website for these materials.
Clearly, the OIG is investing a considerable amount of resources on educating providers on the importance of compliance. These education efforts may suggest that the OIG is raising its compliance expectations for providers. Promoting a culture of prevention, detection and resolution of compliance concerns has never been more important for health care providers.
The compliance videos can be accessed at:
http://oig.hhs.gov/newsroom/video/2011/heat_modules.asp.
If you have any questions or would like additional information on the OIG's compliance initiatives or how best to address potential compliance concerns, please contact your regular Hall Render attorney or Katherine A. Kuchan or Nicholas A. Gonzales via email at kkuchan@hallrender.com or ngonzales@hallrender.com or by telephone at (414) 721-0442 at Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C. | 
