The Office of Inspector General recently released its work plan for fiscal year 2012, which includes a number of “new start” reviews and activities that it plans to pursue during the next 12 months and beyond with respect to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services programs affecting post-acute providers.

On October 5, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued its voluminous Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2012, which describes specific reviews and activities the OIG plans to initiate or to continue in fiscal year (FY) 2012. In this newsletter, OIG activities that will be newly started in FY 2012 and that affect post-acute settings, including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), long-term care hospitals (LTACHs), home health agencies (HHAs), hospices and dialysis facilities, will be highlighted. A “new start” review slated to begin in FY 2012 could result in reports that are published in FY 2012 or FY 2013, depending upon when the assignments are initiated during the year and the complexity and scope of the OIG’s examinations.