Dive Brief:
- HHS's Office of the Inspector General has proposed a rule that would expand the imposition of civil monetary penalties on health care organizations and providers, according to Becker's Hospital Review.
- The rule would allow the OIG to impose these penalties when health care organizations failed to provide the OIG with timely access to documents it needs to perform its functions (such as audits and investigations).
- If the OIG has reason to believe the documents it has requested are about to be destroyed or altered, health care organizations will have to provide the OIG with document access at the time the request is made.
Dive Insight:
According to Becker's, the OIG will consider the circumstances of the request, including the volume of material requested, before bringing the hammer down. But the agency is clearly concerned about evasive maneuvers by health care organizations that attempt to frustrate the purpose of investigations. And sometimes, financial penalties are the only way to get the industry's attention.