[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 94749-94750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28019]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of Inspector General


General Compliance Program Guidance; Industry Segment-Specific 
Compliance Program Guidance for Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing 
Facilities; Resources for Industry; Availability

AGENCY: Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: OIG is announcing the availability of the following resources 
for industry: General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) and Industry 
Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance for Skilled Nursing 
Facilities and Nursing Facilities (Nursing Facility ICPG).

ADDRESSES: You may submit written electronic comments on these 
resources at any time by emailing [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    GCPG: Contact Amanda Copsey, (202) 577-6982, or Laura Ellis, (202) 
834-1665.
    Nursing Facility ICPG: Contact Laura Morgan, (240) 930-2425, or 
Felicia Heimer, (202) 770-7017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On April 24, 2023, OIG announced \1\ its plans to improve and 
update existing OIG Compliance Program Guidance documents (CPGs) and to 
deliver new CPGs specific to segments of the health care industry and 
entities involved in the health care industry that have emerged in 
recent years.
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    \1\ Modernization of Compliance Program Guidance Documents, 88 
FR 25000 (Apr. 25, 2023).
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    Our April 2023 announcement explained, in part, that:
     OIG developed CPGs as voluntary, nonbinding guidance 
documents to encourage the development and use of internal controls to 
monitor adherence to applicable statutes, regulations, and program 
requirements.
     OIG will no longer publish updated or new CPGs in the 
Federal Register. All current, updated, and new CPGs will be available 
on our website.\2\
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    \2\ All CPGs issued to date are currently available on the 
Compliance Guidance page of our website at https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/compliance-guidance/ (last visited Nov. 15, 2024).
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     OIG has developed a new format for CPGs:
    [cir] First, the GCPG pertains to all individuals and entities 
involved in the health care industry.
    [cir] Second, industry segment-specific CPGs (ICPGs) pertain to 
different types of providers, suppliers, and other participants in 
health care industry subsectors or ancillary industry sectors relating 
to Federal health care programs.
    Please reference the April 2023 announcement for additional 
details.

II. Notice of Availability

    Through this Notice of Availability, OIG is announcing the 
availability of the following documents:
     GCPG: This document was published on OIG's website on 
November 6, 2023. OIG notified the public of the publication of the 
GCPG using our public listserv \3\ and other communications platforms. 
The GCPG may be viewed and downloaded at https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/general-compliance-program-guidance/ and https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/compliance-guidance/1135/HHS-OIG-GCPG-2023.pdf.
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    \3\ To join OIG's listserv, visit https://cloud.connect.hhs.gov/OIG/.
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     Nursing Facility ICPG: This document was published on 
OIG's website on November 20, 2024. OIG is notifying the public of the 
publication of the Nursing Facility ICPG using our public listserv and 
other communications platforms. The Nursing Facility ICPG may be viewed 
and downloaded at https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/nursing-facility-icpg 
and https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/compliance/10038/nursing-facility-icpg.pdf.
    These resources are not one-size-fits-all, comprehensive, or all-
inclusive of compliance and quality considerations or risks. They are 
not binding on any individual or entity. Of note, OIG uses the word 
``should'' in the GCPG and Nursing Facility ICPG to present voluntary, 
nonbinding guidance. This means that the documents do not create any 
new obligations or standards for any individual or entity.
    OIG may update the GCPG and Nursing Facility ICPG periodically to 
address newly identified risk areas and compliance and quality 
measures, ensure timely and meaningful OIG resources, and respond to 
stakeholder feedback. In addition, OIG anticipates

[[Page 94750]]

publishing additional ICPGs addressing other health care industry 
segments in the future.
    OIG welcomes written and specific feedback from the health care 
community and other stakeholders in connection with the GCPG and the 
Nursing Facility ICPG. Any such feedback can be submitted by email to 
[email protected]. The receipt of any feedback does not obligate 
OIG to take action, including responding to the feedback, making the 
feedback public, or issuing or revising public guidance.

III. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    These resources contain no collection of information. Therefore, 
clearance by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 is not required.

Christi A. Grimm,
Inspector General.
[FR Doc. 2024-28019 Filed 11-27-24; 8:45 am]
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