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 prescriptions from 84 excluded pharmacists and directly employed 14 pharmacists that had been excluded from federal health care programs.
The Office of Personnel Management participated in the investigation through its Office of Inspector General and confirmed that 14 direct employees had been debarred from participating in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). OPM received over $314,000 in penalties and $628,000 in restitution as part of the settlement.
Federal Health Care Programs do not pay for items or services that are provided, either directly or indirectly, by excluded individuals and the Office of Inspector General also has the authority to impose Civil Money Penalties on providers that knowingly submit such claims. Providers that fail to screen on a monthly basis to identify excluded employees or vendors are considered to have knowningly submitted such claims related to such persons or entities.
When the OIG announced last June that it had created a Special Litigation Unit dedicated to enhancing its enforcement of OIG Exclusion Requirements and Civil Money Penalty, it put the provider community on notice of its continuing commitment to enforce exclusion screening requirements and punish exclusion violations. Since that time, it has announced over 50 settlements involving the employment of exclusion individuals including a number of recent large settlements.
Are you taking the necessary precautions to ensure you are not working with an excluded entity? We know it can be difficult to screen every Federal and State exclusion list. Call Exclusion Screening at 1-800-294-0952 or fill out the form below to hear about our cost-effective solution and for a free quote and assessment of your needs.
Paul Weidenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO of Exclusion Screening, LLC, is the author of this article. He is a longtime health care lawyer whose practice has focused on False Claims Act cases and health care fraud matters generally. Contact Paul should you have any questions at: pweidenfeld@exclusionscreening.com or 1-800-294-0952.