Healthicity Blog

1. Electronic Health Records Vendor To Pay The Largest Settlement In The District Of Vermont: eClinicalWorks LLC to Pay $155 Million to Resolve Civil False Claims Act Allegations –

“What are the first steps I should take to improve my compliance program right now?”

To put it simply: The more you know, the better off you’ll be. A great compliance program starts with knowledge of compliance, rules and regulations, and best practices.

Often, compliance officers are left alone in their own department to do their own things. It can become a little isolating. So, it’s always important to find a trusted person to talk with about compliance issues.

Compliance officers have a lot to juggle. Incident management, internal auditing and monitoring, and enforcing standards, are just a few of the things you need to master. Plus, it seems like new guidelines are emerging from every corner.

“…let me be clear: healthcare fraud is a priority for the Department of Justice,” is how Kenneth Blanco, acting Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, began his speech on May 18, 2017, at the Institute on Health Care Fraud of the American Bar Association.

One of my favorite sayings is that “bedside manner matters.” This comes from my background as a physician. At the end of the day, being knowledgeable doesn’t mean that you work well with people. As a compliance officer, it’s important that you work well with people.

1. Former Administrative Law Judge Pleads Guilty for Role in $550 Million Social Security Disability Fraud Scheme:

When you discuss the compliance aspect of conflicts of interests with physicians, if it’s anything like my experience, it might go something like this: