Compliance

Maintaining a healthcare compliance program can be challenging for compliance officers as they guide their organizations through an increasingly complex landscape, but developing partnerships can help.

“Getting other departments involved is the best way to ensure compliance becomes part of the culture of the organization,” says David Sims, Managing Partner at Security First IT, an IT security and support firm that specializes in healthcare.

Given stringent federal patient privacy laws and the growing threat of cyberattacks and data breaches, the conventional wisdom is that healthcare organizations are investing more resources than ever on compliance. But a recent industry study suggests healthcare providers have a long way to go when it comes to compliance.

Several years ago, my colleague Vu T. Do, PreCheck’s Vice President of Compliance, discussed a growing concern for employers as our investigators noticed an uptake in the detection and reporting of diploma mills. Unfortunately, this is not the only trend with which healthcare employers should be concerned.

Last week, drug testing expert Nina M. French from the Current Consulting Group presented the important changes affecting healthcare employers’ drug testing programs during PreCheck’s webinar. In case you missed the live presentation, a recorded version is now available from our Resources Library.

Last week, the 22nd Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) Compliance Institute was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 3,000 healthcare compliance professionals gathered at the single most comprehensive healthcare compliance conference. Besides learning about the latest developments and priorities from regulators, the Compliance Institute offers networking opportunities and educational tracks to help attendees strengthen their organization’s compliance program.

Background check compliance continues to be a hot topic moving through 2018. From increased class-action lawsuits to data breaches affecting millions, it’s critical that employers exercise their proper due diligence to safeguard their organization and the reputation they must uphold.

It’s not just the financial industry that faces risks from cybercriminals; healthcare organizations, with their massive databases full of personal information, have become common targets as well. Compliance specialists and leaders will have their work cut out for them in the coming year.

Earlier this summer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of the Form I-9 on July 17, 2017. As of September 18, 2017, employers are now required to use the updated form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N. While the changes were relatively minor compared to the one released in November 2016, here’s an overview of what you need to know to ensure I-9 compliance for your organization.

The Form I-9 process can have serious consequences for employers if it is not managed properly. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) almost doubled in size the fine amounts for I-9 violations in August 2016. In the latest PreCheck white paper, “The Form I-9 and E-Verify: Keys to Compliance,” immigration attorney Nicole A.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Work Plan is one of the most valuable resources available for healthcare compliance professionals. The OIG’s work planning process is dynamic and adjustments are made throughout the year to meet priorities and to anticipate and respond to emerging issues with the resources available. Previously, the OIG updated its public-facing Work Plan once or twice a year, but their update cadence has changed as of last month.