OIG Releases Updated Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Facilities
By
David Barmak, JD CEO
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released updated voluntary compliance program guidance titled “Nursing Facility Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance” (ICPG) in November of 2024. This update marks the first revision since 2008.
The Nursing Facility ICPG, along with the OIG’s General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) that applies to all entities in the healthcare industry, serves as OIG’s updated, centralized resource for voluntary compliance program guidance specific to nursing facilities. Nursing facilities can use this ICPG to identify risks and implement effective compliance and quality programs to mitigate those risks.
Key elements of the Nursing Facility ICPG include:
- Identifying risk areas for nursing facilities
- Providing recommendations and practical considerations for mitigating these risks
- Offering other important information for nursing facilities to consider when implementing, evaluating, and updating their compliance and quality programs
OIG emphasizes the connection between compliance and quality programs, highlighting their interdependence. The guidance stresses that nursing facility compliance programs should integrate quality considerations into daily oversight. Specifically, the OIG advocates for collaboration between compliance and quality programs to monitor nursing facilities’ adherence to laws and regulations governing health and safety standards, resident care, and quality of life. These areas may extend beyond traditional compliance concerns and require specialized expertise in clinical or other domains.
Additionally, the Nursing Facility ICPG recommends that nursing facilities within a system or chain implement compliance and quality programs at the highest corporate level. This ensures a consistent approach to monitoring, assessment, and remediation across all facilities in the system or chain.
Source: https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/nursing-facility-icpg/.
