By Mani Dabiri | Published October 4, 2019 | Posted in Civil Business Litigation and Investigations, Federal and State Criminal Defense, Government Subpoenas and Investigations, White-Collar and Regulatory Defense | Tagged Tags: antikickbackstatutes, departmentofjustice, DNAtesting, DOJ, healthandhumanservices, healthcare, HHS, insurancefraud, medicareandmedicaid, telemedicine |
The Lure of Free Cancer Screenings
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department announced a major takedown of telemedicine that it says went too far. It’s among the bigger healthcare-fraud sweeps to date: 35 people charged with over $2.1 billion in false or fraudulent bills. The defendants hail from telemedicine companies and genetic-testing labs and include nine physicians. They reportedly billed Medicare for tens Read More
Read MoreFeds Raise Healthcare Penalties Again
If you’re a healthcare provider who takes Medicare or another federal program, take note. We didn’t get a government shutdown, but the budget law from last week more than doubled the civil and criminal penalties you face when the government accuses you of fraud, waste, or abuse. To see for yourself, click the link and scroll all Read More
Read MoreDon’t Keep The Change, Doc
Meaning, don’t just pocket the difference when the government overpays you for healthcare goods or services. Recently, a medical group agreed to pay $450,000 to settle allegations that it refused to return $175,000 in overpayments that it received from federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s the government’s press release. The overpayments at issue tend to happen in medical Read More
Read MoreCMS Puts Out New Physician Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol
If you’re a healthcare provider or supplier, take note. Starting June 1, 2017, there is a new process for self-reporting actual or potential violations of the Stark Law to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Remember, Stark says that doctors can’t refer certain, designated health services that are payable by Medicare or Medicaid to entities in which they have a financial interest. Read More
Read MoreDouble, Triple Whammies and Rewards
Speaking of the False Claims Act, get ready to buckle up. Starting Monday, an interim final rule by the U.S. Justice Department will nearly double the statute’s civil monetary penalties for each false claim. The minimum penalty will go from $5,500 to $10,781, and the maximum penalty will go from $11,000 to $21,563. For defendants, this means you’re looking at a Read More
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