Non-Compliance: The Unintentional Kind

With instances of Medicare fraud fraught in the headlines, compliance has become a hot-button issue for our industry. Companies have faced fees of up to hundreds of millions and even jail time for being found in non-compliance.

US Assistant Secretary of Health and
Human Services, Ben Sasse

Just last week at the Home Care 100 Conference, keynote speaker, former US Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, Ben Sasse, said that fraud and self-policing should be our top concerns. He cited shocking estimates of widespread fraud and the devastating effects it has on us as an industry, especially in Washington.

We know we don’t have to preach to you about not being fraudulent. You are all ethical individuals. But, in a lot of instances, non-compliance can happen unintentionally. With the increasing amount of regulations (several resulting from health care reform) and differing interpretations of those regulations, many times it’s the “good guys” that are getting themselves into trouble. This is especially true for the small agencies who are stretched thin and doing what they can to survive. Can you imagine if one of them got into trouble? They would not be able to weather the storm.

At Daymarck, compliance is at the cornerstone of our business. It is our first and foremost priority. We never “up-code,” “re-sequence,” or use filler codes, and we code every single home care agency the exact same. We stay up to date with the constantly changing rules and regulations to ensure our clients are 100% compliant.

You should be able to keep all the hard work that you do. That’s why no matter if you are a home health provider, institution, clinician or biller, compliance needs to be your #1 priority.

Feel free to reach out to us to discuss ways you can ensure compliance, including setting up a policy and reporting structure.