Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are required to provide all required primary, preventive, and enabling health services as well as additional health services as appropriate and necessary – either directly or through...more
In OIG Advisory Opinion 22-17, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (H.H.S.) Office of Inspector General (OIG) analyzed a proposal whereby a regional non-profit health system would forgive debt owed by a federally...more
On July 20, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (the DOJ) announced charges against multiple defendants alleging fraudulent schemes (including telemedicine arrangements) totaling more than $1.2 billion. That same...more
8/3/2022
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud Alerts ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
OIG ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
Telehealth—the provision and coordination of healthcare remotely by means of telecommunications technology—is now an essential tool in the delivery of health care services. The COVID-19 pandemic created an incentive for...more
Family Health Centers of San Diego (Health Center) operates a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that has 49 locations throughout San Diego County, California, and provides a comprehensive range of primary and...more
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) deliver care to some of the nation's most vulnerable individuals and families, including federal Medicare and Medicaid health care program beneficiaries. As safety net providers,...more
2/23/2021
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Digital Health ,
FQHC ,
Gifts ,
Health Care Providers ,
New Guidance ,
OIG ,
Safe Harbors ,
Value-Based Care
Compliance with prescription drug controlled substances prescribing and dispensing rules is essential for pharmacies and prescribers, as penalties for non-compliance are severe and can result in State Board of Pharmacy and...more
11/20/2020
/ Business & Professions Code ,
Controlled Substances ,
DEA ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reporting Requirements
As detailed in a press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), "Metropolitan Community Health Services, doing business as Agape Health Services (Metro), has agreed to pay $25,000 to the U. S....more
8/27/2020
/ Compliance ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) ,
Covered Entities ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Failure To Implement ,
FQHC ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Security Rule ,
OCR ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Settlement
On July 20, 2020, the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) issued the OPA Program Update 2020. In addition to adopting new Covered Entity registration and recertification...more
8/18/2020
/ Covered Entities ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Clinics ,
Hospitals ,
HRSA ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) ,
Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System (OPAIS) ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Recertification ,
Registration Requirement ,
Section 340B
Employees concerned about their workplace safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic recently filed a legal action against their employer (Smithfield Foods) seeking a court order that would require the company to comply with Centers...more
5/18/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Health Care Providers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Pharmacies ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Safety ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Sick Customers ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Distancing ,
Telehealth ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Decontamination ,
Workplace Safety
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently revised regulations (the "Regulations") for the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), making significant changes to ownership restrictions,...more
The California Department of Managed Health Care (the "DMHC"), which regulates Health Care Service Plans, recently adopted a regulation regarding general licensure requirements for health care providers ("Entities") that...more
Cybersecurity is a significant and growing compliance risk for health care organizations. If your organization fails to protect patients from cybersecurity risks, the result could be serious fines and penalties for...more
The Regional Offices of the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) already investigate every reported Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) breach affecting 500 or more...more