The president of Arrayit, a publicly traded medical testing company, has been charged with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud after it was revealed he had directed the company to submit false claims for allergy and COVID-19 tests. These charges include the company allegedly paying kickbacks to doctors who participated in the scheme. The charges are the first in the country against a medical company accused of exploiting the coronavirus crisis for their personal gain. Continue reading “Lab Executive Charged with Fraud in COVID and Allergy Testing”
Category: Healthcare
Ways You Can Prepare Yourself During the Coronavirus Crisis
Everyone is understandably worried about how the coronavirus can impact them and their loved ones. While taking protective measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, such as washing your hands and socially isolating yourself, you also need to prepare for the possibility that you or someone you love will catch the disease. Here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for the possibility that you’ll contract the coronavirus: Continue reading “Ways You Can Prepare Yourself During the Coronavirus Crisis”
Medical Manufacturer Settles Whistleblower Suit for $37.5 Million
A California-based manufacturer of durable medical equipment (DME) has settled a lawsuit brought against it by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for $37.5 million. The suit accused the company of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute of the False Claims Act, alleging they had paid money, and offered other incentives, to those that offered their equipment. The suit came about due to whistleblowers at the company reporting their practices to the DOJ, and a part of the settlement is directed to redressing whistleblower grievances. Continue reading “Medical Manufacturer Settles Whistleblower Suit for $37.5 Million”
CMS Issues Final Rule on Hospital Price Transparency
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule that will require all hospitals to make their pricing information publicly available. The rule is set to go into effect on January 1, 2021 and will require every hospital to publish the pricing information for all of their health care services on their websites. The rule was created with the intent of driving competition and increasing price transparency, while protecting patients from unexpected charges that could burden them with medical debt. Continue reading “CMS Issues Final Rule on Hospital Price Transparency”
Google Faces Scrutiny Over Healthcare Data Sharing
Google is facing legal scrutiny after a whistleblower revealed the tech company was collecting the healthcare data of millions of Americans as part of a partnership with Ascension Health, a large Catholic health care provider. In an initiative called “Project Nightingale,” Google gained access to information on as many as 50 million Americans, including details such as their names, addresses, birth dates, and full medical history. Critics are concerned about the purposes to which Google might put the data they collect, and whether they are complying with privacy laws to protect patient data. Continue reading “Google Faces Scrutiny Over Healthcare Data Sharing”
CMS Proposes Cuts for Hospital-Owned Outpatient Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have proposed changes to Medicare payments that would significantly reduce payments to many physicians and hospital outpatient healthcare services. The changes in policy would also increase the wage index (the degree to which payments are adjusted based on regional average wages) for low-income hospitals, like those found in many rural areas, while decreasing the wage index for higher-income hospitals. The move is set to gradually reduce the payments to hospital-owned, off-campus clinics over the course of two years, which CMS predicts will save Medicare more than $800 million per year. Continue reading “CMS Proposes Cuts for Hospital-Owned Outpatient Services”
Pharmacy Chain Agrees to $269.2 Million Settlement
Reuters reported that Walgreens has agreed to settle two civil fraud lawsuits and pay out $269.2 million over allegations that the Deerfield, Illinois-based pharmacy chain overbilled federal health care programs. Both settlements were filed under seal in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Continue reading “Pharmacy Chain Agrees to $269.2 Million Settlement”
Hospitals Must List Prices for Medical Procedures
The Trump administration recently announced that, in an act of transparency, hospitals must openly post online a database specifically detailing the exact cost for a specific medical procedure, effective January 1. NBC News reported that the idea is to let patients know what the final cost will be once they are admitted to a hospital. Continue reading “Hospitals Must List Prices for Medical Procedures”
Practice Facilitation and Primary Care Success
When opening an independent medical practice, there are many new hurdles to conquer that medical professionals typically do not face when working in a hospital. Predictable challenges can include financing, staffing, equipment sourcing, and record keeping, to name a few. One factor that has become nearly essential over the past decade in private practices is the utilization of an individual Practice Facilitator (PF) or practice facilitation team. Continue reading “Practice Facilitation and Primary Care Success”
Restrictive Covenants in the Medical Industry
Restrictive employment covenants are typically disfavored by law, as they can be burdensome to the employee and prohibit them from making a decent living after the termination of a former job. However, restrictive covenants in the medical industry are highly enforceable in some ways.
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