Office of Counsel Attorney Positions
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) supports the mission of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in protecting the health of Americans and providing essential human services. OIG is comprised of dedicated professionals promoting the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of HHS programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. OIG evaluates these programs for success and addresses any fraud, waste, or abuse. OIG has about 1,650 employees, including about 500 law enforcement officers, throughout the United States.
The Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (OCIG), with more than 120 attorneys and staff, provides all legal services for OIG. The office is divided into six branches: Administrative and Civil Remedies, Affirmative Litigation, Advice, Industry Guidance, Exclusions, and Mission Support..
Administrative and Civil Remedies Branch
The Administrative and Civil Remedies Branch (ACRB) represents OIG in all administrative and civil fraud enforcement actions, monitors the compliance of providers under integrity agreements, and defends OIG in administrative appeals. ACRB attorneys initiate and litigate actions seeking civil monetary penalties and the exclusion of health care providers from participating in Federal health care programs because of fraudulent or abusive conduct. In addition, ACRB attorneys work with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop and pursue False Claims Act cases against healthcare providers that defraud the Government. In appropriate cases, ACRB attorneys negotiate and monitor Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs) that impose integrity obligations on providers alleged to have engaged in fraudulent conduct.
Advice Branch
The Advice Branch provides day-to-day legal counsel and representation to OIG on a broad array of issues arising in the exercise of OIG's responsibilities. Advice Branch attorneys serving in this "in-house counsel" role handle a wide range of topics, including employment issues, internal inquiries, ethics, information disclosure and privacy, contracts, constitutional tort claims, subpoenas, law enforcement questions, the scope and exercise of the Inspector General's authorities and responsibilities, budget and appropriations, and legal reviews of audits, evaluations and other written products created by other OIG components.
Affirmative Litigation Branch
The Affirmative Litigation Branch (ALB) is a team of attorneys and professional staff focused on initiating, investigating, and litigating cases of fraud in HHS programs--particularly Medicare and Medicaid. ALB uses civil money penalties, chiefly the Civil Monetary Penalty Law, and exclusion authorities to hold individuals and entities accountable. ALB’s administrative enforcement cases are an alternative remedy to DOJ’s criminal and civil authorities, and ALB complements the work of law enforcement partners by targeting enforcement gaps and amplifying the work of OIG components. ALB attorneys litigate and provide general advice on litigation specific issues and pursue cases that advance OIG’s priorities and the mission of the organization.
Industry Guidance Branch
The Industry Guidance Branch (IGB) issues advisory opinions, special fraud alerts, special advisory bulletins, and other guidance to health care providers and others on the application of the fraud and abuse statutes to health care business arrangements; engages in outreach activities to promote industry compliance with the fraud and abuse statutes; drafts "safe harbor" and other regulations related to these statutes; provides technical assistance to government officials about the fraud and abuse statutes; and serves as an in-house resource for OIG staff, including investigators and auditors, on the anti-kickback statute, the civil monetary penalties provisions related to beneficiary inducements and gainsharing, the Physician Self-Referral (Stark) Law, and health care business practices.
Exclusions Branch
The Exclusions Branch supports the mission of the OIG by implementing the OIG’s authority to exclude individuals and entities from Federally funded health care programs for a variety of reasons, including a conviction for Medicare or Medicaid fraud, patient abuse and neglect, and certain licensing board actions. Those that are excluded can receive no payment from Federal healthcare programs for any items or services they furnish, order, or prescribe. This payment prohibition includes those programs that provide health benefits funded directly or indirectly by the United States (other than the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan). The Branch also exercises authority to waive exclusions in limited circumstances, reinstates individuals and entities that apply to participate again in Federal healthcare programs as appropriate, and publishes and maintains the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities on the public-facing OIG website.
Mission Support Branch
The Mission Support Branch (MSB) is responsible for a wide variety of functions including: all aspects of OCIG’s budget and human resources functions; timekeeping; processing travel authorizations and vouchers; processing and serving as points of contact for controlled correspondence; reviewing and formatting legal correspondence; copying, scanning, mailing, process, and routing cases/matters; maintaining various case trackers; supply management; entering contracts into an acquisitions database; processing personnel actions, awards, and onboarding; and maintaining OCIG’s overall payroll and nonpayroll budget.