When Others Fail: What We Can Learn From Compliance Failures And Wins

Recently, compliance failures cost Florida physicians over $4 million dollars and resulted in a multi-million dollar settlement for a Tennessee hospital. The message is clear: compliance is no joke.

In late 2015, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of about $20 million with the oncology laboratory 21st Century Oncology, LLC, headquartered in Fort Myers, Fla, alleging that the organization had been billing for medically unnecessary laboratory tests known as FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) tests. In this case, the government alleged that four separate urologists ordered the unnecessary FISH tests and enforcement action was taken against these physicians or their practices individually.

86% of healthcare compliance professionals reported that their organization’s compliance program had prevented one or more incidents in the last two years, according to a survey taken in 2016 by HCCA. If we’ve learned anything from the never ending rush of enforcement actions in the headlines, it’s that just one compliance incident can cost an organization hundreds of thousands to millions in legal and compliance expenses.

It’s a lot cheaper to proactively invest in a compliance program. A solid compliance program can help prevent these unnecessary, outrageous, devastating costs and keep your organization’s reputation untarnished.

For a more in-depth dive into this topic, watch our webinar, Invest Now & Save Later: Building an ROI Case for Your Compliance Program, to see why compliance programs are worth the investment. See for yourself why some organizations succeed, some fail, and what you can learn from their recent victories or mistakes.