Inspector General Office, Health and Human Services Department – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with section 431 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), Public Law 108- 173, this proposed rule would establish regulatory standards for the new safe harbor under the Federal anti-kickback statute for certain goods, items, services, donations, and loans provided by individuals and entities to certain health centers funded under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. Under this proposed safe harbor, the goods, items, services, donations, or loans must contribute to the health center's ability to maintain or increase the availability, or enhance the quality, of services available to a medically underserved population.

This Federal Register notice sets forth the Supplemental Compliance Program Guidance (CPG) for Hospitals developed by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Through this notice, the OIG is supplementing its prior compliance program guidance for hospitals issued in 1998. The supplemental CPG contains new compliance recommendations and an expanded discussion of risk areas, taking into account recent changes to hospital payment systems and regulations, evolving industry practices, current enforcement priorities, and lessons learned in the area of corporate compliance. The supplemental CPG provides voluntary guidelines to assist hospitals and hospital systems in identifying significant risk areas and in evaluating and, as necessary, refining ongoing compliance efforts.