OIG compliance refers to the various laws set forth by the Office of the Inspector General in order to protect patients from health care-related abuse and fraud. In order to be OIG-compliant, your office must adhere to the requirements and statutes set forth by the OIG that are applicable to your type of medical practice. While the guidelines set forth by the OIG are voluntary, the various laws and statutes they address must be followed by all practicing physicians who accept Medicare and Medicaid. Following the OIG’s guidelines will help protect your practice and your patients from medical fraud. Adopting an OIG compliance program within your practice demonstrates that you’re making an effort to adhere to all rules and regulations set forth by the government.
Compliant practices may be protected in the case of accidental erroneous billing and fraudulent claims. Compliant practices are also less likely to be audited and singled out for kickback violations. There are no hard and fast rules to becoming OIG compliant, since every medical practice is different. The OIG recommends you follow their 7 steps to compliance, which can be accessed at www.oig.hhs.gov.
Remember to review the compliancy requirements for your particular type of medical practice, and to use those requirements as a guideline for developing your own comprehensive OIG compliancy plan.
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