On October 3, 2014, the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a proposed rule codifying into regulation several statutory changes to the Antikickback Statute (“AKS”) and the Civil Monetary Penalty (“CMP”) Law. Nearly all of these changes broaden permissible arrangements for certain health care and health service providers. The OIG is seeking public comment regarding how to best balance the promotion of beneficial arrangements that enhance the efficient and effective delivery of health care and promote the best interests of patients, while simultaneously avoiding payment arrangements that risk abuse of Federal health care programs or program beneficiaries. Comments about these proposed regulations are due to the OIG no later than December 2, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. EST. The proposed regulations in their entirety are available here. Selected proposed changes are described below.
Antikickback Regulations
1. Cost-Sharing Waiver Safe Harbors. The OIG proposes to codify as regulations AKS safe harbors for certain cost-sharing waivers determined to be low risk to Federal health care programs.
a. Safe Harbor for Part D Cost-Sharing Waivers by Pharmacies. A pharmacy waiving Part D cost-sharing for a beneficiary would qualify for the safe harbor when:
(i) the waiver is not advertised or part of a solicitation;
(ii) the pharmacy does not routinely waive the cost sharing; and
(iii) before waiving cost-sharing, the pharmacy either determines in good faith that the beneficiary has a financial need or the pharmacy fails to collect the cost-sharing amount after making a reasonable effort to do so.
Conditions (ii) and (iii) do not apply to a subsidy-eligible individual.
b. Safe Harbor for Cost-Sharing Waivers for Emergency Ambulance Services. Emergency ambulance providers and suppliers that are paid by Medicare fee-for-service and are owned and operated by a State, a political subdivision, or a Federally recognized Indian tribe would receive AKS safe harbor protection for arrangements when:
(i) the ambulance provider or supplier is the Medicare Part B provider or supplier of the services; (ii) the waiver is offered uniformly, without regard to patient-specific factors;
(iii) the waiver is not the furnishing of free services paid for by a government entity; and
(iv) the provider or supplier bears the cost of the waiver.
2. AKS Remuneration Exceptions. The OIG proposes to codify as regulations two recent statutory exceptions to the definition of remuneration.
a. Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program Exception. Applicable drugs provided at a discount to applicable beneficiaries under the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program would be excepted from the AKS definition of remuneration if the drug manufacturer is a compliant participant in the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program.
b. Local Transportation Services Exception. Excepted from the AKS definition of remuneration would be free or discounted local (no more than 25 miles away) transportation made available by an individual or entity to established patients who are Federal health care program beneficiaries for the purpose of obtaining medically necessary items or services when:
(i) the individual or entity providing the transportation services does not primarily supply health care items and bears the cost of the transportation services;
(ii) the availability of transportation services is not determined in a manner related to the volume or value of Federal health care program business;
(iii) the transportation services are not air, luxury, or ambulance-level services; and
(iv) the transportation services are not marketed or advertised and drivers or others arranging the transportation are not paid per beneficiary transported.
Civil Monetary Penalty Regulations
1. CMP Remuneration Exceptions. The OIG proposes to codify as regulations recent statutory exceptions to the CMP rule definition of remuneration. The proposed regulations additionally provide proposed definitions of terms intended to help interpret these exceptions. Proposed exceptions to the CMP rule definition of remuneration include:
(a) Reductions by a hospital of the copayment amount for covered outpatient department services to no less than 20% of the Medicare outpatient department fee schedule.
(b) Remuneration promoting access to care and posing a low risk of harm to patients and Federal health care programs.
(c) Retailer rewards programs consisting of coupons, rebates, or other rewards from a retailer offering items or services on equal terms to all members of the public and which are not tied to the provision of other items or services reimbursed in any part by Medicare or an applicable State health care program.
(d) The offer of certain items or services for free or at less than fair market value after making a good faith determination that the recipient is in financial need and when the items or services are not advertised.
(e) Certain copayment waivers for the first fill of a covered Part D generic drug for beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or the Medicare Advantage Part D Plan.
2. Gainsharing Prohibition. The OIG proposes codify the statutory gainsharing prohibition that forbids hospitals from knowingly making a payment to a physician as an inducement to reduce or limit services provided to Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries under the care of that physician. In doing so, the OIG acknowledges that it seeks to strike a balance that interprets the prohibition broadly enough to protect Federal health care program beneficiaries, and narrowly enough to allow low risk programs that further the goal of delivering high quality health care at a lower cost. Furthermore, in the proposed regulations the OIG acknowledges that it has previously allowed certain gainsharing arrangements through its advisory opinion process and that it seeks comment regarding an interpretation of the statute that permits the implementation of low risk, beneficial gainsharing arrangements.
