A different perspective of compliance

Noah Leiden (Noah.leiden@bakertilly.com) is a Partner at Baker Tilly’s Government Contractor Advisory Services Practice in Tysons, VA.

Have you heard the saying, “The good news is, you won a federal contract; the bad news is, you won a federal contract”? As tongue-in-cheek as this phrase may be, it is frequently quoted when an organization takes that step to becoming a government contractor. But why is this phrase so accurate? The basis for this phrase can be traced to unique and burdensome compliance requirements a government contractor must follow. And depending on function, compliance has different meanings.

Healthcare organizations provide a myriad of goods and services, from pharmaceuticals and equipment, to administrative services. Many of the goods and services healthcare organizations provide commercially are also procured by the federal government and, to grow revenue, organizations frequently end up playing in the government’s sandbox. Generally, compliance for healthcare under a federal government contract, grant, or cooperative agreement requires specific controls to address and comply with Chapters I, IV, or V of Title 42 — Public Health of the Code of Federal Regulations (42 CFR).[1]

Because the scope of 42 CFR addresses a spectrum of healthcare services and oversight, ranging from patient safety to the requirements of programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and Office of Inspector General (OIG) oversight, organizations gravitate to the 42 CFR compliance requirements, as they should. However, organizations frequently don’t adapt to the administrative requirements unique to the government contracting environment beyond those found in 42 CFR. Unfortunately, organizations take a “we’ll figure it out later” approach to address challenges associated with the negotiation, administration, and settlement of federal contracts.

The administrative requirements and rules of the game in which the federal government operates are different from the commercial world, don’t permit a “we’ll figure it out later” approach, and should be understood by organizations prior to expending valuable resources pursuing or performing a federal contract. By not understanding the administrative challenges of a federal contract, organizations may be putting themselves in significant financial and compliance risks that far outweigh the benefits they initially expect.

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