Developing a Healthcare Finance Fraud, Abuse & Compliance Program Assignment

Compliance is a comprehensive program that helps institutions and their employees conduct operations and activities ethically; with the highest level of integrity, and in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. To have an effective compliance program, an organization must establish and maintain an organizational culture that "encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to compliance with the law." U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines

The local county has voted in approval to build a large state-of-the-art level IV hospital. With so many tasks ahead of the developers and the healthcare organization, you were recently hired as the new Chief Finance Officer (CFO). One of the first priorities you have been tasked to complete is the design and implementation of a comprehensive Healthcare Finance Fraud, Abuse & Compliance Program in order to establish a gateway between revenue and reimbursement practices and the ethical and professional adherence to applicable federal laws.

Deliverables: The final product to submit is a comprehensive Healthcare Finance Fraud, Abuse & Compliance Program that includes the following.

PART II. Word Document

• Adopting MedPro Group, Seven Fundamental Steps of a Compliance Plan, create a comprehensive plan that aligns with the following seven steps:

o Element One: Implementing Written Policies, Procedures, and Standards of Conduct
- Devise at least 3 healthcare finance related fraud and compliance policies and accompanying procedures. Your policies and procedures MUST...
- Explain legal requirements so that employees understand their obligations and how to conform their behavior to meet them
- State your plans on how to encourage managers and employees to report suspected fraud and other improprieties without fear of retaliation
- Should be made easily available (identify in a written statement where and/or how one can access the above policies and procedure)

o Element Two: Designating a Compliance Officer and Compliance Committee to Provide Program Oversight
- Note; this task was completed with your initial hiring as the new CFO. However, you are to develop a 1page job description in order to seek a compliance officer that will report directly to you.
- Develop the proposed overview of the Compliance Committee that will be chaired by the above compliance officer. Identify the proposed frequency of meetings (simple schedule over a calendar year) (the committee is expected to meet monthly), the preferred number of committee members and the various departments/areas that each member will represent, identify at least six purposes/responsibilities that the committee is expected to carry out and outline the proposed method of communication (during the scheduled monthly meetings and outside of scheduled meetings)

o Element Three: Using Due Diligence in the Delegation of Authority
- This task is completed, as you are the delegated person of authority that oversees the proposed healthcare finance, fraud, abuse and compliance program

o Element Four: Educating Employees and Developing Effective Lines of Communication
- Note; this task was partially completed with the above Power Point presentation; however let's prepare take your work to the next level...
- Develop clear and practical steps that will be taken in order to disseminate information about the organization's compliance program and its policies and processes
- Devise a training schedule (identify the frequency of the conducted training's, identify who will be required to attend) along with an assessment to monitor the effectiveness of the training session. Draft a one-page agenda that outline the proposed topics of discussion that will be covered in the training session
- As a continuation of Element One, discuss how employees can report suspected fraud. For example, you may establish an anonymous reporting contact number or electronic email reporting system. Draft a generic automated response that an individual will receive after submitting a report. This will include a thank you line as a confirmation. The estimated time for a response and a person or number to contact for further assistance

o Element Five: Conducting Internal Monitoring and Auditing
- Discuss the efforts that will be taken to ensure that the financial practices are compliant and adheres to ethical guidelines and standards
- Outline the process of conducting internal monitoring and auditing practices
- Design a healthcare fraud, abuse and compliance calendar template that includes the following:
- Department
- Regulation/Statute/Law
- Department
- Name of the Individual Completing the Calendar
- Date & Signature Line
- Actions Steps to Compliance: Steps/Description, Responsibility and Completion Date
- Standards Section that will be evaluated (this should be included as a column): requirement, deadline/due date, responsible office/department and status

o Element Six: Enforcing Standards Through Well-Publicized Disciplinary Guidelines
-
- Develop a generic outline that addresses the following:
- Explains who is covered
- Standards of conduct
- Discipline and enforcement
- Reporting (obligations), whistleblower, non-retaliation
- Create a five (5) Q&A handout for the intent of distributing to employees. Devise questions and answers that are appropriate to healthcare finance, fraud, abuse and compliance

o Element Seven: Responding Promptly to Detected Offenses and Undertaking Corrective Action
- Provide a generic response in terms of responding to detected offenses. Create a four (4) step corrective action approach that aligns with your Human Resource (HR) guidelines and standards as it relates to employee disciplinary actions