The “To-Don’t” List of OIG Compliance

Posted by Frank Strafford on December 29, 2015 in Exclusion Screening,

OIG Compliance requires a lot of things to remember.  However, since many people respond more pro-actively when they learn of the possible consequences, here is a short “to-don’t” compliance list instead of the usual “to-do”.

Don’t be complacent about your employees’ status.

Your employees may have initially been cleared from exclusion screening upon being hired. Being complacent about their status, however, is not acceptable. Many employers make the mistake of not screening against every Federal and State databases on a monthly basis. Your employees’ names should also be screened for all possible variations, including diminutives and maiden names.

Don’t burden yourself with DIY exclusion screening.

Verifying whether an individual is on the excluded list or not is a big responsibility. Doing it yourself can be time consuming and tedious.

The key is to get a reliable automated exclusion screening software to lighten the load of OIG compliance and to make sure the screening is thorough. You don’t have to do it on your own, which can save you some expensive and embarrassing mistakes.

Don’t rely on the OIG for notifications on excluded individuals.

Expect no warnings or notifications from the OIG about excluded individuals – this is simply not a service they provide. Your task as an employer is to search your state’s required databases, aside from SAM.gov, Federal exclusions, and Medicaid exclusion databases monthly.

Don’t think little “mistakes” won’t cost you.

Always remember that ignorance of an employee’s status is never an acceptable excuse to the OIG. A misspelled name here, an ignored nickname there, or failure to check against important databases can cost you plenty in penalties or lawsuits. Keeping an excluded individual on your staff (whether it’s intentional or not) could result in fines between $30,000 and $300,000.

About Frank Strafford

About Frank Strafford

Related Articles

Highlights from the OIG’s Fall 2021 ...

January 14, 2022

On December 2, 2021, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its Semiannual Report to Congress for fiscal year 2021 (Report). The Report descr...

A Taste of Their Own Medicine – ...

February 4, 2016

Medicaid and Medicare frauds run to the tune of billions of dollars each year. Running a check on OIG exclusions is one way to catch this fraud, and also protect one’s healthcare system from doing ...

Two OIG Reports Encourage More Vigilance ...

April 27, 2020

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.22"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _bui...

Understanding OIG Exclusions

OIG Exclusions Screening Process

Exclusion FAQS

Quick OIG Exclusion Basics

Employing Excluded Individuals

Consequences to Employing an Excluded Individual

OIG Compliance Law

Laws and Publications on OIG Compliance

More Compliance Resources

Our Culture

We build the best, so you can perform at your best.

Trusted for Good Reason

  • ✓ Guaranteed accurate
  • ✓ Certified Secure
  • ✓ Audit Proof
  • ✓ Feature-rich reporting
  • ✓ Round the clock real-time-data
  • ✓ Processing fully automated

Security First

  • ✓ Cloud hosted
  • ✓ Encrypted data
  • ✓ Real-time backups

Trusted for Accuracy

  • ✓ Physical security
  • ✓ Restricted access
  • ✓ Single sign-on
  • ✓ Password security
  • ✓ Certified secure
  • ✓ Cross checking

HEALTHCARE ESTABLISHMENTS NATIONWIDE COUNT ON STREAMLINE VERIFY

5

60%

Average workload reduction by implementing the Streamline Verify program

5

10K

Establishments trust Streamline Verify nationwide

5

2011

Serving the healthcare industry’s unique compliance needs since 2011

5

24X

Setting standards with hourly synchronization to primary source data