In This Issue
What’s Up With Nursing Facility “Mandatory” Corporate Compliance Programs? – Every skilled nursing facility (SNF) owner or operator should know by now that one provision of the infamous health care reform act required that all SNFs have effective corporate compliance programs in place by March of 2013. We’ve received many calls and emails from our readers asking if we plan to issue guidance on compliance programs to help providers and why we haven’t already done that.
Updated OIG Exclusion Guidance Spells Out Recommended Employee Screening Procedures – On May 8, 2013, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published an updated bulletin that spells out the frequency with which employers should check the OIG’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities and clarifies which employees should be checked as well as rules for volunteers. Each month, the OIG updates its searchable database of about 54,400 excluded individuals and about 2,800 excluded entities.
General Assembly Calls for Study On Increasing Assisted Living Communities In Rural Areas – In a legislative session that continues to leave many North Carolinians of all political persuasions “jaw-dropped,” a bill introduced in the NC House of Representatives, if passed, would require the Department of Health and Human Services to “examine strategies for increasing the number of assisted living residences in rural areas of the state.”
Rumors of Retirement Greatly Exaggerated – During World War II, the English Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, beset by enemies and critics from the Nazi Alliance and his own countrymen, was famously reported to say, upon hearing that he had died, “the rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” I recently had occasion to feel a kinship to Mr. Churchill when one of my very loyal clients and friends called me in a dither to ask, “What’s this I hear about you retiring?”
Upcoming Lectures/Speaking Events
•Wilson Hayman and Julie Hampton are presenting at the NC Association of CPAs Annual Healthcare Industry Conference, NCs Medicaid Managed Care Demonstration Program – June 14 in Greensboro
•Ken Burgess will be presenting to the Association for Home Care and Hospice of NC, Nursing Facility/Hospice Relationships Under the Medicare Conditions of Participation – June 25 in Raleigh and June 26 in Charlotte
•Ken Burgess will be presenting at the NC Healthcare Facilities Association’s Summer Convention, Long Term Care Legal Update (including SNF corporate compliance programs and effective clinical/legal documentation) – August 6-8 in Myrtle Beach
•Ken Burgess will be presenting at the National Aging Services Risk Management’s Annual Conference – October 17-18 in Chicago, IL