The North Carolina Medical Board ("Board") recently issued a guidance document describing a situation involving a physician serving as the medical director of a medical spa, where the medical spa is owned by a non-licensee....more
Whether at a hospital, nursing home, surgical center or private office, physicians are encountering “Medical Director” opportunities more frequently than ever before. While physicians may be intrigued by the title,...more
In a press release dated September 27, 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Texas announced that Jesus Virlar-Cadena was sentenced to serve 50 months in federal prison for his alleged role involving...more
There are many rules and regulations governing attending physician visits and medical directors. Unfortunately, there is plenty of room for error when documenting attending physician visits, establishing medical director...more
All types of healthcare providers depend on medical directors to oversee clinical operations and consult with administrative leadership on facility, unit, or clinical service line plans and performance. Medical directors...more
Looking for updates on government initiatives related to physicians, clinics, and physician integrity trends? Join us this October for HCCA’s Virtual Clinical Practice Compliance Conference and get insights, updates, and...more
On October 6, 2021, California Governor Newson signed Assembly Bill No. 749, which, among other things, established minimum training requirements for medical directors of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). There was...more
Get the latest updates on government initiatives related to physicians and clinics - HCCA’s Clinical Practice Compliance Conference provides insights, updates, and strategies that are pertinent to developing and managing...more
On June 15, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a False Claims Act (FCA) suit against Paksn Inc., Prema Thekkek and one of its owners, and seven skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) owned by Thekkek and/or operated by...more
Unlike most other types of employment arrangements involving physicians, physicians acting as a medical director are compensated purely for the performance of administrative services related to patient care services....more
According to recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Region V, having more than one Medical Director for each hospice provider number could lead to sanctions, including termination. On January...more
When a hospital is putting together an employment contract with a physician, there are many items for both the hospital and the physician to consider. One question we have seen more and more hospitals ask is whether a...more
Emanuele v. Medicor Associates, was presented to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania as cross motions for summary judgment, and provides some guidance regarding the Stark requirements for...more
In a recent case Hebrew Homes Health Network, Inc. and its former president and executive Director agreed to pay $17 million to settle allegations that Hebrew Homes violated the federal anti-kickback statute. According to the...more
Hailed as “another achievement” for the government’s Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (referred to as “HEAT”), the U.S. Department of Justice has announced that a Florida skilled nursing company and...more
Over the last month the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have each taken actions that suggest an increasing appetite to examine the financial...more
The HHS OIG recently issued a brief fraud alert (Fraud Alert) reminding physicians that inappropriate compensation arrangements may lead to enforcement actions under the federal anti-kickback statute and Civil Monetary...more
It appears that the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) now has physicians squarely in the crosshairs of one of its most powerful enforcement tools: the Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”). The AKS is a criminal statute with...more
On June 9, 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a Fraud Alert entitled, "Physician Compensation Arrangements May Result in Significant Liability." The Alert is an...more
In a Fraud Alert issued on June 9, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) notified the healthcare community that physician compensation arrangements are on the OIG’s radar...more
On June 9, 2015, the OIG issued a Fraud Alert entitled “Fraud Alert: Physician Compensation Arrangements May Result in Significant Liability”. This is just a one page letter warning hospitals and physicians by stating the...more
On June 9, 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a Fraud Alert focused on physician relationships. The Alert cautions physicians who enter into compensation arrangements...more