Posts Tagged ‘Opioid’
DOJ recovers $5.6B in FCA Settlements/Judgments
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced it had taken in more than $5.6 billion in False Claims Act (FCA) settlements and judgments in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2021. That’s the second largest annual total in the history of the FCA and the largest in seven years. In FY 2020, DOJ’s recoveries…
Read MoreProsecutors Target “Drug Dealers in Lab Coats”
The first few weeks of the new year have seen a high number of healthcare professionals who have pleaded guilty, were convicted or sentenced on charges relating to the illegal prescribing of narcotics, including one who prosecutors described as “the latest drug dealer in a lab coat.†The cases are tied to an ongoing crackdown…
Read MoreProposed Controlled Substance Legislation Aimed at Pharmacies
CMS Policy Changes to Drug Benefit Program Targets Opioid Abuse
Effective June 15, policy changes for the prescription drug benefit program finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) take effect. CMS published the final rule updating Medicare Advantage (MA) and the prescription drug benefit program (Part D). Â The new rule is expected to result in nearly $300 million in annual savings over five…
Read MoreOIG Workplan Update: From Opioid Misuse to Elder Abuse
The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) continues to update its Work Plan monthly. As we previously noted, the OIG has gone from an annual update to monthly updates as a way to enhance transparency. It sets forth various projects including OIG audits and evaluations that are underway…
Read MoreProposed Opioid Bill Ensures Patient Privacy While Helping MDs Make Rx Decisions
An estimated one-in-three Americans had a prescription for opioids in 2015 and that number continues to grow. With that growth has come a startling increase in the number of overdose deaths. The National Center for Health Statistics reported that overdose deaths hit a record 19.9 per 100,000 population in the third quarter of 2016, up…
Read MoreOpioid Crackdown Requires Increased Focus on Compliance
It’s not just drug dealers and traffickers selling opioids who have become the target of law enforcement. Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, along with state and federal law enforcement partners, targeted healthcare providers. The agency announced that 412 defendants including 115 doctors, nurses and other…
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