In February 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the results of its 2023 False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement efforts. Through those efforts, it obtained more than $2.6 billion in overall recoveries, and of that...more
The Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") is a federal criminal statute that prohibits "knowingly and willfully" offering or paying remuneration to induce a person to order or make a referral for an item or service reimbursable by a...more
In February 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the results of its 2023 False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement efforts. Through those efforts, it obtained more than $2.6 billion in overall recoveries, and of that...more
4/8/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare Advantage ,
OIG ,
Stark Law
In February 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the results of its 2023 False Claims Act (“FCA”) enforcement efforts. Through those efforts, the government obtained more than $2.6 billion in overall recoveries,...more
4/1/2024
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
Medicare Advantage ,
OIG ,
Stark Law
In Short -
The Situation: On November 6, 2023, the Office of Inspector General ("OIG") of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") released its "General Compliance Program Guidance" ("GCPG"). The GCPG...more
12/1/2023
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Compliance Management Systems ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Draft Guidance ,
Federal Register ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Life Sciences ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Stark Law
The decision should prove helpful for those in the health care and life sciences industries whose daily operations require compliance with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS")....more
In Short -
The Situation: The Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") prohibits a defendant from willfully paying or receiving "remuneration" in exchange for referrals—and, in addition, also specifies that any claims "resulting...more
DOJ recovers a record $5.6 billion from FCA cases in 2021, the largest annual total since 2014. -
The United States Department of Justice Civil Division ("DOJ") recently announced a recovery of more than $5.6 billion in...more
2/23/2022
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Qui Tam
Federal government enforcement in the telemedicine space continues to escalate, with three separate announcements in just the last three weeks regarding criminal and civil telemedicine-related actions. These enforcement...more
9/23/2021
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Billing ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
OIG ,
Qui Tam ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The Situation: The Office of Inspector General ("OIG") recently modified the personal services and management contracts safe harbor of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS"). These modifications expand protections to...more
The Situation: In light of the now widespread adoption of electronic health records ("EHR") technology, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General ("OIG") and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...more
The Situation: The adoption of new technologies has been a hallmark of the health care industry in the twenty-first century. While these technologies have helped to improve both industry efficiency and patient outcomes, the...more
The Situation: On November 20, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") released the long-awaited final rule to modernize and clarify the Stark Law. As part of this final rule, CMS reviewed stakeholder...more
The Situation: The isolated transactions exception under the Stark Law has been used by some providers and entities to retroactively protect services arrangements that do not qualify for personal services or fair market value...more
The Situation: Telehealth services continue to evolve and show promise for improving quality care, care coordination, and access to services while often demonstrating cost effective options for care.
The Action: The Office...more
The proposed rule evidences the HHS' and the Administration's continued interest in reducing federal spending for pharmaceutical products.
On February 6, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") published...more
3/6/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
MCOs ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Safe Harbors
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, signed into law on February 9, 2018, imposes changes on health care fraud and abuse laws that appear to reflect Congress's desire to reduce the draconian threat of strict liability under the...more