NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS

CMS has released a list of updated final adverse actions that need to be reported to CMS in a timely fashion. The list includes, but is not limited to, certain convictions, exclusions, and revocations, regardless of whether records are expunged.  Additionally, CMS revoked certain requirements of Medicare enrollment in an effort to reduce provi...

OIG calls for "further scrutiny" of pharmacies and prescribers in connection with compounded drugs billed to Medicare Part D.   Pharmacies must be prepared to aggressively defend against this latest attack on the independent retail pharmacy industry. An explosive new report calls for "further scrutiny" of hundreds of pharmacies and prescr...

In a sweeping crackdown that vastly exceeded investigations of years' past, the U.S. Department of Justice and Medicare Fraud Strike Force charged 601 individuals with over $2 billion in healthcare fraud. In Brooklyn and Long Island alone, numerous healthcare providers were charged with over a combined $163 million in healthcare fraud. The Medicare...

Membership programs are a common tool used by retail pharmacies to grow their business. Under this type of program, a pharmacy will give member patients certain benefits, usually taking the form of rebates, discounts, or coupons on in-store items, as a way of developing customer loyalty. As these member patients often fill prescriptions at the same...

In what is becoming an annual tradition, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, comprised of members from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (more about which can be read here ), announced the latest "unprecedented" healthcare fraud takedown. The nationwide bust netted more than 412 individuals suspected of a c...

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 ...

In a groundbreaking decision addressing one of the most pressing issues currently faced by Medicare providers, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered CMS to clear the lengthy backlog of Medicare appeals at the administrative law judge (ALJ) level. Under the Medicare Act, CMS must provide an ALJ hearing and decision within 90 d...

Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) recently created a new website to facilitate monitoring of ALJ appeals. Physicians, DME suppliers & other providers can now check on the status of filed Medicare reimbursement appeals, find useful documentation as well as other information pertinent to the appeal. OMHA also launched listserv websit...

While the stated goals of meaningful use compliance include terms such as empowerment, improvement and efficiency, for many participating physicians the possibility of a meaningful use audit just adds another level of anxiety to the already stressful and increasingly time-consuming burden of administrating a medical practice in the current regulato...