Office of the Secretary May 1, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would implement authority provided to the Secretary of Defense under the Social Security Act. This authority allows the Secretary of Defense as the administrator of a Federal healthcare program to impose civil monetary penalties (CMPs or penalties) as described in section 1128A of the Social Security Act against providers and suppliers who commit fraud and abuse in the TRICARE program. This proposed rule establishes a program within the DoD to impose civil monetary penalties for certain such unlawful conduct in the TRICARE program. To the extent applicable, we are proposing to adopt the Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS's), well-established CMP rules and procedures. This will enable both TRICARE and TRICARE providers to rely upon Medicare precedents and guidance issued by the HHS Office of Inspector General regarding conduct that implicates the civil monetary penalty law. The program to impose civil monetary penalties in the TRICARE program shall be called the Military Health Care Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program.