85.040 Health Care Compliance Policy

Bd. Min. 10-15-99.

1. Purpose
   
   1. Increased public and governmental concern about possible fraud, waste and abuse in the health care industry has resulted in the enactment of stringent federal and state laws, statutes, and regulations. Enforcement of these laws, statutes, and regulations has generally been vested in the Health Care Financing Administration, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Missouri Department of Health. These organizations can and do impose substantial fines and penalties for violation, intentional or unintentional, of the enacted statutory and regulatory requirements.
   2. Each and every employee of the University of Missouri System who may be involved in health care has the responsibility and obligation to act in accordance with applicable HCFA, and other health care regulations. These regulations encompass all aspects of health care delivery by operating units of the University of Missouri System.
2. Policy
   
   1. It is the policy of the University of Missouri System, as approved by the Board of Curators, to operate in full compliance with all laws and applicable regulations and to ensure the ethical and legal delivery of health care to all patients. Consistent with this policy, the Chancellors are responsible for their respective campuses for compliance with health care laws, statutes and regulations. Consistent with this policy, the following shall apply:
      
      1. For their respective campuses, the Chancellors are responsible for providing faculty and staff with the relevant rules, the necessary training, and the appropriate resources to comply with standards and regulations, and to maintain appropriate documentation that standards and regulations are being met.
      2. It is the responsibility of individual faculty members, and other University employees involved in health care to be informed of applicable rules and regulations and to comply with these rules and regulations. Failure to comply with these rules and regulations constitutes possible grounds for dismissal of students and termination for cause of faculty and staff.
      3. The University will make every appropriate effort to protect faculty members and other employees from civil penalties imposed by outside agencies as a result of alleged non-compliance with health care laws, statutes, and regulations, provided they have made bona fide efforts to comply with appropriate regulations.
      4. The campuses will be responsible for civil penalties that result from operations on the campuses.