New Requirements for Employee Handbooks, Policies and Procedures, and Training Programs for Health Care Providers

On February 8, 2006, President Bush signed into law the Deficit Reduction Act (the "Act"). The Act aims to reduce federal spending by nearly $40 billion over five years, of which approximately $6 billion is expected to come from changes to Medicare. The Act contains a number of provisions designed to combat fraud and abuse. One of the most significant of these new requirements is the mandatory employee and contractor education and training programs.