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Physician Law Blog

We provide insights and analysis for physicians, nurses, chiropractors, dentists, physical therapists and other health professionals on issues impacting their practices.

Physician Law Blog
June 28, 2015

Learning the Hard Way – Omnicare to Pay $124M False Claims Settlement

False Claims Act (FCA) allegations are serious business. Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded programs. Omnicare learned the hard way just how serious FCA actions can be when a whistleblower made allegations against it.

Physician Law Blog
April 16, 2015

Update on Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

As a result of the Congressional failure to yet adopt a “physician payment fix,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the efforts it will be taking beginning on April 15th, 2015 to alleviate the impact of the 21% decrease in payments required by current law. Meanwhile, CMS will be imposing a 10 day hold on new claims to attempt to minimize the impact if Congress does take action to avert the payment decrease. The following excerpt is from the MLN Connects Provider eNews – Special Edition dated April 13, 2015.

Physician Law Blog
October 28, 2014

Register Now for Second Medicare Appellant Forum

The second Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) Medicare Appellant Forum will take place tomorrow, October 29, 2014 from 10 am to 3 pm EST. OMHA is working to provide updates on the backlog of appeals of denied claims, and its initiatives to mitigate the backlog of claims. Recently, CMS offered a settlement option for certain providers for denied claims on appeal as a way to reduce the appeal backlog.

Physician Law Blog
April 24, 2014

Another False Claims Act Settlement for HEAT - Amedisys Inc. agrees to pay $150M

The Department of Justice announced a False Claims Act settlement where Amedisys agreed to pay $150 million and will be bound by a Corporate Integrity Agreement as a result of alleged improper financial relationships and false billing. The settlement resolves seven qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuits brought primarily from former Amedisys employees. The whistleblowers will collectively split over $26 million from the settlement. Among the claims alleged were that Amedisys billed Medicare for services to ineligible patients by misrepresenting patients’ conditions to increase its Medicare billings as well as maintaining improper relationships with referring physicians. This settlement is an achievement for HEAT, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team initiative announced in 2009, which continues to combat health care fraud having recovered more than $19.2 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $13.6 billion recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.