In the Press
January 30, 2023

Former OIG Chief Counsel: Noncompliance in Complex Environment at Times Is ‘Inevitable’ (Report on Medicare Compliance)

Professionals
Although healthcare organizations have shown “a major commitment to voluntary compliance efforts in trying to do the right thing in a complex regulatory environment,” there’s room for improvement, according to the former chief counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). “I’m not sure if they fully appreciate the importance of developing that culture and bringing compliance into the fabric of the organization and making sure the actions of the organization reflect that,” said Gregory Demske, who left OIG in November after 30 years there, a decade as chief counsel and a stint as acting principal deputy inspector general. Compliance is about more than having the right compliance officer, policies and procedures, training and the rest of the compliance-program infrastructure, said Demske, now with Goodwin in Washington, D.C. “How do they create an atmosphere where people can bring forward suggestions and concerns and they are handled appropriately?” Similarly, is the organization conducting audits and correcting errors? That’s the kind of evidence you’d expect with a “strong culture and commitment to compliance,” he said in an interview with RMC.