The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) will review home health agencies’ compliance with the face-to-face encounter requirement in 2013, according to the new Work Plan published Oct. 2.

The Work Plan lists the issues the OIG will focus its scrutiny on in the coming year.

“We will determine the extent to which home health agencies (HHA) are complying with a statutory requirement that physicians (or certain practitioners working with physicians) who certify beneficiaries as eligible for Medicare home health services have face-to-face encounters with the beneficiaries,” the plan states.

Also new this year: The OIG will review whether agencies are complying with state requirements to conduct criminal background checks on job applicants and employees.

Find the home health section of the Work Plan at https://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/archives/workplan/2013/WP01-Mcare_A+B.pdf.

For ongoing coverage and analysis of the Work Plan, stay tuned to this page and an upcoming issue of HHL.