Archive for July 2020
CMS: Audits to Return in August
After a five-month reprieve, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says that as of Aug. 3, 2020 it will resume most Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) medical reviews that it suspended in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes pre-payment medical reviews conducted by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) under the Targeted Probe and Educate…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Related Fraud Heating Up
Five months into the COVID-19 pandemic and the number of enforcement actions against companies and individuals who have received COVID-19 relief funds continues to grow. In the following case, investigators allege the suspect mixed it up by allegedly violating both anti-kickback laws and committing relief fund fraud. According to the complaint, Carlos Belone of Coconut…
Read MorePharma Giant Novartis Settles FCA Claims
Pharma giant Novartis has agreed to pay more than $642 million to resolve claims it violated the False Claims Act (FCA). The company also will forfeit $38.4 million under the Civil Asset Forfeiture Statute. In the first settlement, the company agreed to pay $51.25 million to settle allegations it illegally paid the copay obligations for…
Read MoreTelehealth Stakeholders Ask Congress to Help Ensure Technology’s Future
As we first wrote about in May, telehealth in the age of COVID-19 has been gaining a lot of traction. Patients and doctors alike have found it to be a safer, and often more convenient alternative to in-person visits, especially in rural areas where healthcare delivery options are limited. Its increase in use has led…
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