HHS Gets Financial Weapon to Crack Down on Contract, Grant Fraud (1)

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General is getting broader authority to leverage financial penalties for fraudulent and abusive behavior involving government contracts and grants.

A final rule (RIN: 0936-AA09) issued Friday greenlights the OIG to investigate allegations of information blocking and allows the HHS in turn to issue monetary penalties for violations. The HHS could issue fines up to $1 million.

The rule sets out provisions for penalties that serve as “a baseline of how a formal penalty program would work, but the details of any enforcement action will be based on specific practices, ...