HBMA remains committed to compliance and ethics for our membership. Our commitment is documented in our input to the development of the 1998 OIG Compliance Program Guidance for Third Party Medical Billing Companies, Hospitals, Home Health Agencies, and Clinical Laboratories.
Healthcare industry compliance updates have always been in our landscape and will continue to affect how we operate. As the healthcare industry and organizations continue operational public health emergency recovery efforts, compliance programs become a priority and critical issue in ensuring that organizations adhere to laws, regulations, statutes, professional, and ethical compliance standards, and guidance.
The Compliance & Ethics Committee assesses, investigates, and, when appropriate, renders a determination on allegations of violation of HBMA’s Code of Ethics. We may also assess and develop recommendations for changes to HBMA’s Code of Ethics for consideration by the board of directors.
The foundational purpose of the Compliance & Ethics Committee is to oversee the HBMA accreditation program and represent the association’s interests.
The HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program establishes standards to help safeguard protected health information (PHI). The program includes a thorough review and evaluation of member organizations’ implementation and adherence to HIPAA (including all aspects of the Privacy and Security Rules, HITECH, and Omnibus), and OIG compliance standards (FWA, Stark, Anti-Kickback, and the OIG work plan).
Why should compliance be our primary focus?
- It demonstrates our efforts in fostering an atmosphere of adherence to laws, regulations, standards, etc.
- It ensures that HBMA members operate in an appropriate manner that avoids sanctions, fines, and/or jail time.
To support the HBMA member community in the journey, the Compliance & Ethics Committee seeks to recommend and develop timely compliance topics and learning activities that educate HBMA attendees in accordance with their level of compliance experience, job role, and company size.
The committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month for a one-hour Zoom call. During these monthly calls we seek to identify, develop, and collaborate to deploy timely compliance education programs to the HBMA community. As such, we share and exchange ideas with other committees to ensure that HBMA collective goals are met. Our committee’s success can be attributed to the diversity that exists within our organization. Our members are comprised of different personalities, experiences, and opinions that allow the group to achieve consensus on our committee goals.
Please consider joining the committee. Your participation will contribute to the development of a strong Compliance & Ethics Committee as we strive to shape the future of compliance through exceptional education, resources, and an annual compliance conference to support our HBMA community.
If you are interested in making a meaningful impact and are eager to collaborate with like-minded professionals, we encourage you to volunteer your expertise and join us on this important journey.
Please feel free to email info@hbma.org or call me directly at (214) 997-2278.
