Archive for August 2020
Teva Charged With Paying Kickbacks to Increase Sales of MS Drug
Teva Pharmaceuticals has joined a growing list of healthcare organizations alleged to have used charitable foundations to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks. Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston filed a complaint against Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Teva Neuroscience, Inc., the maker of Copaxone. It alleged the company conspired…
Read MoreOIG Offers Advisory Opinions on COVID-19-Related Arrangements, But …
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a unique set of circumstances for many healthcare providers. Delivering quality patient care, while at the same time trying to navigate existing laws and regulations, has many providers questioning whether the arrangements they are making in response to this public health emergency will not get them into trouble with…
Read MoreOIG Rules Hospitals Can Sell Medical Debt Directly to Nonprofit Buyer
Can health systems and large physician groups sell or donate their unpaid medical debt to a medical debt forgiveness company without fear of violating federal anti-kickback laws? A recent Advisory Opinion issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General said yes, at least under the circumstances outlined in the…
Read MorePharmacists Push for Ability to Bill Under Medicare for COVID-19 Testing and Treatment
As demand for COVID-19 testing rises, so too does the time it takes to schedule a test and get back the results. To reduce wait times for both, pharmacists around the country are asking the government to cut through the red tape and allow them to be recognized as providers of testing and immunization services.…
Read MoreFeds Recover $2.6B in 2019
The federal government recently announced it won or negotiated more than $2.6 billion in healthcare fraud adjustments and settlements during the last fiscal year (2019). As a result of its efforts, as well as those of preceding years, approximately $3.6 billion was recovered. Of that total, approximately $2.5 billion was transferred to the Medicare Trust…
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