"Nationwide Healthcare Lawyers"
(July 2, 2010): The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) audit program involving Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) is now permanent and nationwide. As we discussed in Part I of this series, while small providers were largely ignored during the demonstration program, physicians, home health, hospice, and durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers should be on […]
(June 29, 2010): In Part I of this series, we reacquainted you with the design and purpose of the now permanent Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program. Although RACs largely focused on inpatient care during CMS’ demonstration program, RACs are a real threat to small providers that don’t have the intensive compliance programs in place that
(June 28, 2010): On Friday, June 25, 2010, President Obama signed the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 3962), commonly referred to as the Doc Fix, which provides yet another band-aid for our broken Medicare physician pay system. The bill replaces the 21% Medicare physician payment
Enactment of Doc Fix Bill Offers Another Temporary Reprieve for Medicare Physicians Read More »
(June 25, 2010): The purpose of this series of articles is to assess the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program from the perspective of physicians, home health, hospice, durable medical equipment (DME) providers, and other relatively small Medicare providers. As many non-hospital providers will acknowledge, early cries of wolf by law firms and consultants did a
(June 23, 2010): Yesterday we told you about recent GAO testimony before Congress regarding the impact of health care reform on HHS enforcement efforts. On the same day, GAO Health Care Director Kathleen M. King offered Congress testimony that made clear that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continue to face substantial challenges
GAO Testimony Recommends CMS Improve Enrollment, Payment, and Oversight Procedures Read More »
(June 8, 2010): For those of you who missed the first two dozen pronouncements (okay, perhaps a little exaggerated, but still . . . we got the message when Congress made it a False Claims Act violation to hold onto a mere overpayment for more than 60 days), President Barack Obama has again expressed his
President Obama Publicizes Measures to Reduce Medicare Improper Payment Rate Read More »
(June 1, 2010): Like most honest health care providers, you may believe that search warrants are only executed by the government in connection with the investigation of nefarious characters and criminals. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case. The Federal government has increasingly utilized search warrants as a first-strike investigative tool. In fact, the execution of
Responding to a Search Warrant Executed at Your Health Care Practice or Clinic Read More »
(April 20, 2010): The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released its report on Medicaid Audits “HHS-Analysis of Improper Payments Identified During the Payment Error Rate Measurement Program Reviews in 2006 and 2007 (A-06-09-00079).” As set out in the report, four types of medical review errors accounted for 95%
(April 10, 2010): As the American Medical Association (AMA) recently reported on March 22nd, 2010, health care providers may find themselves subjected to a Medicare Secret Shopper audit by fellow health care providers and others hired by the government to conduct undercover reviews and investigations. In a speech he made March 10th, 2010, President Obama
(April 3, 2010): The Federal government is taking considerable steps to stop Medicare fraud and abuse. Notably, the number of publicly-disclosed HEAT Strike Force investigations and prosecutions in Texas significantly increased last month. Two of the cases disclosed involved mental health professionals: A Psychologist was convicted of health care fraud and money laundering, in connection
HEAT Strike Force Update: Prosecutions in Texas Increased in March 2010 Read More »
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