Healthcare Compliance FAQ

By Guest Contributor
In Healthcare Business Monthly
June 1, 2016
Comments Off on Healthcare Compliance FAQ

Get answers to the most popular compliance questions.

Healthcare compliance is an aspect of healthcare touching everyone, from coders to clinicians to patients. Everyone has questions. And as a healthcare compliance consultant, I try to have the answers. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) healthcare entities and providers ask me:
Q: There are so many regulations I have to comply with. How can I keep up with them all?
A: Healthcare is a highly regulated industry and difficult to navigate legally. It’s best to contract with (or hire) someone who specializes in healthcare compliance to help you understand with which regulations your entity needs to comply, along with developing an internal compliance infrastructure and training. Make sure this professional has relevant experience, is properly certified, and is not on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) excluded individuals list (https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov).
Q: If I am audited, can I claim ignorance of any wrongdoing?
A: No. Lack of knowledge will not hold up in an investigation or audit. As a healthcare entity or individual, it’s your responsibility to keep up and comply with state and federal regulations. State or federal officials will hold that you should have known.
Q: How often do employees need compliance training?
A: Employees working in various healthcare roles, including coding and billing, should be trained in appropriate areas (HIPAA, HITECH, etc.) immediately upon hire and at least annually thereafter. Employees should be trained when existing regulations change or are updated and when new regulations are put into place.
Q: How can compliance help my healthcare organization?
A: Above all, compliance is about healthcare organizations and professionals upholding their legal and ethical responsibilities. Efforts don’t go unrewarded, however. For example:

A robust compliance program that includes on-going auditing can optimize billing and reimbursement.
A good compliance program that cites patient care and outcomes as a priority facilitates quality reporting.
A compliance program increases awareness within the entire organization, creates a team approach and environment, decreases errors and avoidable mistakes, and encourages employee communication.
In the event of an audit, a well-designed compliance plan shows due diligence, which may lessen imposed fines or penalties for any wrongdoing.

Q: What resources are available to help me with compliance?
A: Recommended resources include: OIG, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and AAPC. These organizations provide informational articles, auditing software, news about updates and alerts, compliance ideas, and more.

Keileigh Neugebauer, MBA, CPCO, is a healthcare compliance consultant with more than 10 years of experience in the field. She understands the challenges both from a business and a legal aspect, and she works in conjunction with healthcare organizations (ranging from small physician and dental practices to larger clinics) to provide an innovative healthcare compliance solution. Neugebauer performs audits, builds compliance programs, and customizes infrastructures for each organization while training employees, and is on call for compliance questions and implementation. She is a member of the Woodlands, Texas, local chapter.