The recently issued Resource Guide for Measuring Compliance Program Effectiveness, reconfigures the traditional formulation of the “Seven Elements of an Effective Compliance Program by making the “Screening and Evaluation of Employees, Physicians, Vendors and other Agents” an element unto itself – or the new “Seventh Element of Compliance!” The Resource Guide, a product of roundtable discussions… more>>
By Paul Weidenfeld and Catalina Jandorf The new Final Rule issued by CMS revising the conditions of participation for home health agencies (HHAs) requires that providers “must ensure” that agencies providing services under arrangement have not been excluded from Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal health care program. Effective July 17, 2017, the rule also states that… more>>
By Catalina Jandorf In what appears to be a growing enforcement trend, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG) and State Medicaid Fraud Units are aggressively pursuing pharmacy retailers for exclusion violations. In recent investigations, pharmacies are being targeted for failing to screen prescribers as well as employing pharmacists who have been… more>>
Exclusion Violation by Dentist "Sends a Strong Warning" February 1, 2017 By Paul Weidenfeld The Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) announced last week that it had reached a settlement in excess of a million dollars with an excluded dentist for violations of the provisions of the regulations denying participation in federal health care programs… more>>
By Paul Weidenfeld January 23, 2017 On January 12, 2017, the Office of Inspector General published a final rule finalizing revisions to its exclusion authorities. The final rule makes changes to key definitions that could have a significant impact on providers by broadening the scope of their exclusion screening obligation and enhancing exclusion enforcement by… more>>
DOJ Announces $4.7 billion in FCA Recoveries By Paul Weidenfeld December 16, 2016 The "Third Best Year" in False Claims Act History? The Department of Justice announced earlier this week that FY 2016 was its third best year in “False Claims Act History” with recoveries of more than $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments. Though it… more>>
OIG Imposes Record $21.5 Million in Penalties for Exclusion Violations! The OIG imposed a record $21.5 million civil money penalties and restitution against an Ohio corporation that operates pharmacies and supermarkets in 34 states for exclusion violations involving the employment of excluded individuals and fulfilling prescriptions by excluded prescribers! The settlement alleged that the company filled… more>>
By Robert W. Liles. August 3, 2016. The False Claims Act is the primary civil enforcement tool utilized by the federal government in its fight against fraud generally, and, in particular, Medicare and Medicaid Fraud.[1] Already an extraordinarily useful statute forgovernment prosecutors both in termsof ease of use and in terms of the penalties and damages that may… more>>
On April 18, 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) issued updated criteria for assessing and evaluating the imposition of permissive exclusions under Section 1128(b)(7) of the Social Security Act. The update replaces the 1997 Federal Register notice and demonstrates the OIG’s ongoing interest in the implementation and enforcement… more>>
The Office of Inspector General’s 2016 OIG Work Plan contains two important projects that focus on the enforcement of exclusion rules by States and their Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Viewed in the context of the creation of a special task force in June of 2015, and other data we have cited to in the past year,… more>>