The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed its complaint in intervention in another whistleblower lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act against the nation’s largest owner and operator of Medicare Advantage (MA)...more
The United States Supreme Court recently declined review of the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling that the University of Massachusetts Medical School was an “arm of the state,” and thus, not subject to the federal False...more
On June 16, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a highly anticipated opinion in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar, which for the first time expressly recognized implied certification as a viable theory...more
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a long-anticipated decision on the viability of the “implied certification” theory of liability under the False Claims Act (FCA). In Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex...more
In a $200 million False Claims Act (FCA) litigation with certain twists and turns, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama recently found that the federal government failed to show that claims submitted...more
A preview of the effects that a provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 will have on healthcare providers came to light this week when the Railroad Retirement Board (Board) published an interim final rule implementing...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued its final rule for Reporting and Returning of Overpayments (Final Rule). The Final Rule implements section 1128J(d) of the Social Security Act, which...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule implementing Section 6402(a) of the Affordable Care Act that requires Medicare providers and suppliers to report and return overpayments within 60...more
The United States Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in the case of Universal Health Services, Inc. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar, No. 15-7, which places implied certification under the False Claims Act (FCA) squarely in the...more
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates recently announced new instructions for attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), outlining in a memorandum the DOJ’s policies with respect to civil and criminal...more
10/12/2015
/ Best Practices ,
Corporate Investigations ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Prosecutors ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Misappropriation ,
Professional Misconduct ,
Yates Memorandum
Aetna is now facing another set of claims calling into question its determination and payment methodology for out-of-network reimbursement. On September 4, 2015, six surgical centers in Texas (Allied Center for Special...more
9/29/2015
/ Aetna ,
Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Denial of Benefits ,
Denial of Insurance Coverage ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Insurance Industry ,
Life Insurance ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
On February 23, 2015, Aetna filed suit in Texas federal court against Robert A. Behar, M.D. and North Cypress Medical Center (North Cypress), alleging that Dr. Behar, the CEO of North Cypress, offered impermissible ownership...more
8/31/2015
/ Aetna ,
Breach of Duty ,
Contingency Fees ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Insurance Industry ,
Lanham Act ,
Life Insurance ,
Malicious Prosecution ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Patient Referrals ,
Real Party in Interest ,
RICO ,
Tortious Interference
The Southern District of New York has spoken on one of the first issues to confront those seeking compliance with the new “60-day rule” under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and it does not bode well for defendant hospitals...more
8/14/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CID ,
Civil Investigation Demand ,
Compliance ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part A ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Overpayment ,
Overpayment Recovery Time Limits
At the annual meeting of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) held this week in Washington D.C., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced a new legal team...more
On May 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued an opinion in a federal False Claims Act (FCA) case that resolves two important procedural points litigants face: the tolling of the six-year statute of...more
6/1/2015
/ False Claims Act (FCA) ,
First-to-File ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
KBR (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) ,
Popular ,
Qui Tam ,
SCOTUS ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Whistleblowers ,
WSLA
On April 20, 2015, the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), in collaboration with the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), the Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors (AHIA), and the Health Care Compliance...more
Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna) is going on the offensive against a Northwest Houston hospital with an out-of-network strategy. On February 23, 2015, Aetna filed suit in Texas federal court against Robert A. Behar, M.D....more
Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is extending the deadline to finalize the rule implementing the Affordable Care Act provision that requires providers to timely report and return...more
In March 2014, CMS temporarily suspended the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program until it secured new contracts. The contracts for the program expired in June 2014, and in August, CMS said that it would restart the...more
In an attempt to clear the backlog of appeals of short inpatient stays, CMS recently announced a settlement offer for hospitals with claims currently pending in the appeals process. In exchange for withdrawal of their...more
The federal government was busy over the summer when it came to decisions and settlements under the Stark Law, anti-kickback law and federal False Claims Act. This article revisits recent developments with respect to...more
In a pair of proposed rules published in May, the HHS OIG unveiled changes to the regulations concerning OIG’s authority to impose civil monetary penalties (CMPs) and exclude individuals and entities from participation in...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published an announcement indicating that the agency is “in the procurement process for the next round of Recovery Audit Program Contracts” and is winding down its...more
Recent seemingly contrary determinations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have fueled industry speculation regarding whether qualified health plans (QHPs) available on the health insurance exchanges...more
Northwestern University will pay $2.93 million to settle a federal False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit brought by a former employee who alleged Northwestern allowed a researcher to submit false claims under certain cancer research...more