The CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Rules
Podcast — Drug Pricing: How Are Payers Responding to the IRA?
Findings from Gibbins’ Annual Healthcare Bankruptcy Report
A Fond Farewell: Musings on the End of the Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In Demonstration
Video: Braidwood v. Becerra – Challenging the Affordable Care Act’s Preventive Services Coverage Provision – Thought Leaders in Health Law
Hospice and Home Health Survey Perspectives: A Conversation with Kim Skehan, VP of Accreditation at CHAP
Transparency and the Open Payments Program
Taking the Pulse, A Health Care and Life Sciences Video Podcast | Episode 173: Improving rural health care with Dr. Kevin Bennett, the Director of the Research Center for Transforming Health and the
Counsel That Cares - The Private Payer's Perspective on Value-Based Care
Podcast: Health Equity – Behind the Buzzwords – Diagnosing Health Care
A Very “Special” Episode: Amid Controversy, CMS Launches the Hospice Special Focus Program
Grace from CMS: Unexpected Good News on HIS and CAHPS Appeals
This Bandwagon Has a Broken Wheel: OIG Joins the Inconsistent Approach to Hospice GIP Claims
Behind the Curtain: Enhanced Provider Enrollment Oversight
Survey Woes: CMS Ramps Up Hospice Survey Program and Consequences
Inflation Reduction Act’s Drug Price Negotiation Provisions – What Now? – Diagnosing Health Care Podcast
A Glimpse Into the Other Side: Understanding the Perspective of Government Enforcers
I Understood There Would Be No Math: Audits, Extrapolations, and a New Set of Rules
Podcast: Inflation Reduction Act’s Drug Price Negotiation Provisions – What’s Next? - Diagnosing Health Care
Telemedicine companies are supposed to facilitate medically necessary services to beneficiaries over the telephone via licensed medical professionals. In reality, however, many of these “telemedicine companies” are...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a rare criminal indictment involving the Medicare Advantage program—a contrast from DOJ’s more typical use of its civil enforcement authority to pursue similar issues...more
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Uninsured Program (UIP), which reimbursed providers for provision of COVID-19 related services to uninsured individuals, paid out more than $24.5 billion in claims....more
On July 10, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) that would (i) include hospices in the 36-month rule ownership transfer restrictions that currently exist for home...more
Benesch: MN ban on non-compete agreements includes carveout for business sale, dissolution - Benesch Law notes the bill only awaits the signature of MN’s Governor and could become law as early as July 1. It would prevent...more
This Tuesday, April 18, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument in U.S. v. SuperValu. SuperValu is the second – and more consequential – False Claims Act (FCA) case of the term....more
Oral arguments are scheduled for April 18, 2023, in the Supreme Court case combining two Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals cases U.S. ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu, Inc. (“SuperValu”) and U.S. ex rel. Thomas Proctor v. Safeway,...more
Federal omnibus spending bill rolls back some Medicare payment cuts scheduled for 2023, 2024 - Buried within the $1.7-trillion spending package signed by the President on Dec. 29 was partial relief for a planned 4.5% cut...more
Physicians and practice managers: Keep an eye on medical billing or health services contractors acting on your behalf. Your practice is liable for any violations of state and federal healthcare fraud laws, including Stark...more
When healthcare providers and other government contractors are subject to scrutiny for bills submitted to the government, it is often the result of a whistleblower complaint filed under the qui tam provisions of the False...more
On September 2, 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a data brief analyzing telehealth services covered by Medicare and related program integrity risks. OIG...more
Courts are grappling with unique questions in the context of managed care programs in False Claims Act (FCA) cases. But are they getting it right? Two questions trending in courts relate to: (1) materiality under the FCA when...more
A pair of reports recently issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) highlight the important role telehealth services have played in ensuring access to medical...more
On June 6, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), released its spring 2022 semiannual report to Congress. The semiannual report covers the period of October 1, 2021 to...more
For the last few years, we have been closely monitoring and reporting on COVID-19 related fraud enforcement efforts by federal agencies. We detailed those findings in our Health Care Enforcement 2020 Year in Review & 2021...more
On April 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced criminal charges against 21 people across the country for COVID-19-related frauds. The defendants are accused of over $149 million in false billings to federal...more
The DOJ announced charges against 21 people across nine federal districts for their alleged role in pandemic-related fraud schemes resulting in over $149 million in false billings to federal programs. This is the largest...more
On October 25, 2021, DOJ intervened in a False Claims Act (FCA) case against Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and certain Permanente Medical Groups (Kaiser). In its complaint, DOJ contends that Kaiser...more
On May 28, 2021, OIG released its Semiannual Report to Congress (the Report). The Report describes OIG’s work during the 6-month semiannual reporting period of October 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021 (the Semiannual Reporting...more
HHS Announces Formation of FCA Working Group - On December 4, 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is creating a False Claims Act Working Group to enhance the partnership between...more
HHS Announces Final Rules Amending Stark Law Regulations and Anti-Kickback Statute - On November 20, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published...more
Loosening regulations on telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic has, unsurprisingly, led to a boom in telehealth use. At the same time, telehealth has emerged as a key enforcement initiative of the Department of Justice...more
Russian National Sentenced to Prison for $100 Million Cyber Fraud Conspiracy - On October 30, 2020, a Russian national was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a scheme to illicitly obtain and use sensitive...more
Report on Medicare Compliance 29, no. 25 (July 13, 2020) - Ophthalmic Consultants PA in Sarasota, Florida, agreed to pay $4.8 million to settle false claims allegations that it billed Medicare and other federal payers...more
On March 23, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) issued an alert to the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)....more