Healthcare Financial News

Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson issued an open letter to healthcare providers on April 15 announcing that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services has refined the requirements of the OIG provider self-disclosure protocol, under which healthcare providers can voluntarily report fraudulent conduct affecting Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs. According to the letter, providers who disclose in good faith, fully cooperate with OIG, and provide requested information in a timely manner will generally not be required to enter into corporate integrity or certification of compliance agreements with OIG.

The letter also sets forth four additional self-disclosure submission requirements and emphasizes OIG’s commitment to streamline its internal process for self-disclosure case resolution. Read the letter.

A new web resource that allows users to learn, share, and adopt innovations in the delivery of health services was launched April 14 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The resource, called the Health Care Innovations Exchange, is the federal government’s repository for successful healthcare innovations. It also includes useful descriptions of attempts at innovation that failed.

The web site is being launched with 100 examples of innovations in the delivery of healthcare services and attempts at innovation; that number will increase as the site is updated every two weeks. Profile examples include an initiative by geriatricians, nurse practitioners, and social workers to help seniors avoid institutional care by visiting seniors at home, and a patient/physician e-mail communication system that overcomes the inconvenience of automated phone systems and accommodates the difficult schedules of both the physician and the patient. Access the web page.