OIG Revises Local Transportation Safe Harbor

One of the most frustrating issues for hospitals, particularly during a public health emergency with extremely limited bed capacity, is the inability to discharge a patient in a timely manner because they do not have transportation home. The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) has taken a step toward easing this bottleneck by amending the local transportation safe harbor to the Anti-Kickback Statute. The amendment expands the mileage allowance for patients residing in rural areas and eliminates the mileage limitation for patients being discharged home. A copy of the amendment to the safe harbor was published in the Federal Register today and is available online. This article reviews the background and key terms of the safe harbor as modified by the OIG.