UNITED STATES HEALTH care organizations are battling the specter of fraud and abuse that haunts the health care industry by employing corporate compliance officers and developing corporate compliance programs, according to a survey by the Philadelphia-based Health Care Compliance Association, Tyler & Co. and Walker Information.

Of the 322 respondents to the survey, 96 percent have a COO, and 94 percent have either a working compliance program or one under development. Only 1 percent said they were not planning a formal program to detect and return health insurance overpayments.

The 1999 Profile of Health Care Compliance Officers encompassed home medical equipment providers, home health agencies, health maintenance organizations and hospitals, said HCCA president Brent Saunders. The survey had a 16 percent response rate. Complete survey results are available online at www.hcca-info.org, www.tylerandco.com and www.walkerinfo.com.