HHS OIG Issues Health Care Fraud, Abuse Prevention Plan
On Wednesday, HHS' Office of Inspector General released its 2012 plan to boost agency efforts to prevent health care fraud and abuse. The 165-page work plan includes a number of new strategies, such as focusing on proper documentation for patient claims and reviewing hospitals considered to be at "high risk" for improper Medicare billing. The blueprint also recommends targeting hospitals that use certain codes frequently and using data-mining techniques to review hospital submissions of certain billing codes.
- "Inspector General Plans Stepped-Up Oversight" (Carlson, Modern Healthcare, 10/5).