By: Jacqueline Bain
How serious is the federal government that corporate compliance is necessary for healthcare providers?
In late 2015, the Department of Justice (DOJ) hired the agency’s first Compliance Counsel. Then, in early 2017, the DOJ published “common questions” that US Attorneys should ask as part of a criminal investigation when the DOJ evaluates a company’s compliance program. The “common questions” published by the DOJ describe specific factors that prosecutors should consider in conducting an investigation of a corporate entity, determining whether to bring charges, and negotiating plea or other agreements. These factors include “the existence and effectiveness of the corporation’s pre-existing compliance program” and the corporation’s remedial efforts “to implement an effective corporate compliance program or to improve an existing one.”Continue reading