Report on Medicare Compliance 30, no. 4 (February 1, 2021)
◆ Correction: Medicare’s home oxygen national coverage determination has been waived during the public health emergency. RMC’s Jan. 25 issue stated otherwise. The online edition of the story has already been corrected.
◆ Athenahealth Inc. (Athena), an electronic health records (EHR) services developer, has agreed to pay $18.25 million to settle false claims allegations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and Department of Justice (DOJ) said Jan. 29.[1] Athena allegedly paid kickbacks to generate sales of its EHR product, athenaClinicals, through marketing programs. “Athena allegedly invited prospects and customers to all-expense-paid sporting, entertainment and recreational events,” DOJ said. The company also had a “Lead Generation” program designed to identify new customers. DOJ alleged Athena paid as much as $3,000 per physician if they signed up for Athena services, “regardless of how much time (if any) the client spent speaking or meeting with the lead.”
1 Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, “Athenahealth Agrees to Pay $18.25 Million to Resolve Allegations that It Paid Illegal Kickbacks,” news release, January 28, 2021, http://bit.ly/3t2ZXWR.
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