NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS

It is of utmost importance that Medicaid providers take prompt measures when under audit to avoid such consequences. Recently, the New York Court of Appeals upheld a recoupment of funds by the NYS Office of the Medicaid Inspector General ("OMIG") against a provider, rejecting the provider's claim that it was not sufficiently notified of the recoupm...

A doctor's certification or medical judgment regarding a certain treatment can be considered "false" if the treatment is not considered "reasonable and necessary" under the government's definition, even if the terms are not defined for the specific medical treatment. In a recent decision, United States ex rel. Polukoff v. St. Mark's Hospital ,...

The recently passed New York State budget bill including sweeping new protections for independent pharmacies facing PBM audits.  The bill, which amends the Public Health Law, requires PBMs, when conducting audits, to accept purchase invoices from a broader range of wholesalers and distributors.  This provision is notable as PBMs...

A Federal District Court in Minneapolis has issued a highly favorable decision for physicians and healthcare providers on the limits of an insurance plan's ability to recoup.  Specifically, the court ruled that insurers can only recoup against providers from the same health plan that the alleged overpayment was issued under, even if the insure...

Calling the attention of every New York Medicaid provider reimbursing its billing/collection agents on a percentage basis, the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has recently sent out recoupment letters demanding repayments of Medicaid funds paid to billing companies under fee-splitting arrangements. Notably, the recoupments actions ...

Nothing is as critical to the economic health of an independent pharmacy as successfully resolving inevitable audits by Pharmacy Benefits Managers ("PBMs"). While the PBM concept originated as a measure to cut back on fraud, waste and abuse, the current role played by a PBM can often be perceived as antagonistic to the interests of independent phar...