On November 29, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the 2024 annual update to the designated health services (DHS) Code List. This annual update includes important changes for Medicare providers...more
In September, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued an unfavorable advisory opinion to a pathology laboratory concerning a proposed services arrangement with referring...more
McDermott’s Healthcare Litigation, Compliance and Investigations Forum is back when you need it the most.
Heightened regulatory scrutiny and enforcement activity pose legal, financial and reputational risks for healthcare...more
10/10/2023
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Compliance ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Events ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Investigations ,
Life Sciences ,
Physicians ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Restrictive Covenants
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant regulatory activity for July 2023. We discuss several criminal and civil enforcement actions that involve violations of the False Claims Act...more
9/1/2023
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Over The Counter Drugs (OTC) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reimbursements ,
Settlement
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant regulatory activity for May 2023. We discuss several criminal and civil enforcement actions that involve violations of the False Claims Act (FCA)...more
6/23/2023
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicare ,
Nursing Homes ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Physicians ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Vaccinations
As a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA), Congress passed new exceptions to the Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law) and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) allowing certain healthcare entities to...more
In this session, McDermott Will & Emery Partners Denise Burke, Tony Maida and Monica Wallace discussed top issues and enforcement trends that physician practice management companies (PPMs) and ambulatory surgery centers...more
5/26/2023
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Compensation ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Professional Conferences ,
Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol ,
Stark Law
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant regulatory activity for March 2023. We discuss several criminal and civil enforcement actions that involve Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and...more
5/3/2023
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Durable Medical Equipment ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
False Statements ,
Florida ,
Fraud ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Kickbacks ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Remand ,
Settlement ,
Voluntary Disclosure ,
Whistleblowers
After a rare False Claims Act (FCA) trial—especially one premised on violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS)—a federal jury in Minnesota returned a $43 million verdict against Precision Lens, a distributor of medical...more
3/30/2023
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Appeals ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Kickbacks ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Settlement
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant regulatory activity and developments occurring in January 2023, including several criminal and civil enforcement actions related to the federal...more
3/9/2023
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fraud ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Manufacturers ,
Medical Devices ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Self-Referral ,
Stark Law
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant regulatory activity between August 21 and September 20, 2022, including a guilty plea from a telemedicine physician who wrote prescriptions for...more
10/7/2022
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Biotechnology ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Shared Savings Program ,
Nurses ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physicians ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Transparency ,
Technology ,
Telehealth ,
TRICARE
OIG has a long history of scrutinizing laboratory arrangements because of the agency’s view that these arrangements are particularly susceptible to fraud and abuse. Much of OIG’s past guidance focused on laboratory...more
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights notable enforcement activity between April 21 and May 20, 2022, including a telemedicine case involving $64 million in false and fraudulent claims. We also...more
6/14/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Competition ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Information Technology ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medical Devices ,
Nursing Homes ,
OIG ,
Payment Systems ,
Physicians ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The US Department of Justice recently intervened in an qui tam alleging false and fraudulent claims involving the acquisition of physician practice locations by a health system and subsequent management of the health system’s...more
4/19/2022
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Asset Purchase Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
Physicians ,
Professional Services Contract ,
Qui Tam ,
Reimbursements ,
Reversal ,
Section 340B
Healthcare enforcement saw an uptick in 2021 and in the first quarter of 2022 as the Department of Justice and other agencies ramped up their investigations following the COVID-19 slowdowns. This uptick in enforcement,...more
4/4/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Opioid ,
Physicians ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Webinars
Celebrating its sixth program, McDermott+Consulting’s +Dx Diagnostics Forum is the premier annual program for the laboratory diagnostics community.
Gain insight into how the industry addresses regulatory and business...more
3/18/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Clinical Laboratory Testing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Diagnostic Tests ,
Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Evidence ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC) ,
Physicians ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Scientific Research ,
Stark Law ,
Vaccinations ,
Webinars
In this installment of the Healthcare Enforcement Roundup we cover new and longstanding issues impacting the healthcare enforcement landscape. First, we explore the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the healthcare...more
7/27/2020
/ 1135 Waivers ,
Compliance ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
e ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Guidance Update ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Objective Falsity ,
Physicians ,
Split of Authority ,
Stark Law ,
Whistleblowers
The first half of 2020 set the tone for an unprecedented year for the healthcare industries. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations are navigating uncharted compliance waters while continuing to face...more
7/14/2020
/ 1135 Waivers ,
Compliance ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Guidance Update ,
Health Care Providers ,
Objective Falsity ,
Physicians ,
Split of Authority ,
Stark Law ,
Webinars ,
Whistleblowers
As healthcare moves increasingly from fee-for-service model to one focused on outcomes and value-based payments, the traditional fraud and abuse laws, such as the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, pose obstacles to...more
5/28/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Fee-for-Service ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
New Rules ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Policy Statement ,
Proposed Rules ,
Self-Referral ,
Stark Law ,
Telemedicine ,
Value-Based Care ,
Waivers
On April 21, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued explanatory guidance on the scope and application of a series of nationwide Section 1135 waivers of the physician self-referral law (Stark Law)...more
The final quarter of 2019 brought forward new guidance and proposed rules with major implications for healthcare companies, enforcement developments in healthcare private equity investing and opioid litigation matters, among...more
1/28/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Continuing Legal Education ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Investors ,
Medical Necessity ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) ,
New Guidance ,
Opioid ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physicians ,
Private Equity ,
Proposed Rules ,
Stark Law ,
Webinars
To help accelerate the transformation of the US healthcare system from a fee-for-service to a value-based system, the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) launched its “Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care”...more
11/13/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Incentives ,
Patients ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Burden ,
Reimbursements ,
Safe Harbors ,
Self-Referral ,
Stark Law ,
Value-Based Care ,
Webinars
On October 9, 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published proposed changes to the physician self-referral law (Stark Law). Physician practices are subject to...more
The Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) proposed changes to the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Civil Monetary Penalty Law, released today as part of the Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care, would...more
10/11/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Beneficiary Inducement ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Exceptions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law ,
Value-Based Care
The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit endorsed two controversial interpretations of the Stark Law’s “volume or value” standard, known as the correlation theory and the practice “loss” theory in U.S. ex rel. J. William...more
10/3/2019
/ Appeals ,
Compensation Agreements ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medical Centers ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Patient Referrals ,
Petition For Rehearing ,
Physician Compensation Arrangements ,
Physician Medicare Reimbursements ,
Physicians ,
Pleading Standards ,
Relators ,
Reversal ,
Rule 9(b) ,
Stark Law ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Statutory Violations