Fraud and Abuse

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The Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) of the Department of Health and Human Services, generally, would have concerns about a potential or existing referral source receiving free goods or services, since these free goods and services could be used to provide unlawful payments for the referral of Federal health care program business.  However, under Advisory Opinion 16-09, the OIG … Continue Reading

In March 2016, we covered the conviction of Dr. Venkateswara Kuchipudi for violating the federal anti-kickback statute by referring nursing home patients to Sacred Heart Hospital (in Chicago) in exchange for kickbacks. For a summary of the case, please see our post here: Nursing Home Fraud Scam Results in Conviction for King of Nursing Homes

Dr. Kuchipudi was convicted of … Continue Reading

Long gone are the days when drug reps enticed physicians with extravagant meals at five-star restaurants and box seats to the Phillies’ playoffs (and sadly, gone are the days when the Phillies actually made the playoffs).

According to a recent study published in the journal, JAMA Internal Medicine, physicians who are provided a meal for less than $20 from … Continue Reading

In a recent Advisory Opinion (No. 16-02), the OIG concluded that it would not seek sanctions against a state-run hospital (the “Hospital”) under the federal anti-kickback statute or the civil monetary penalty law for two arrangements under which the Hospital provides transportation aid and short-term lodging to pregnant women covered by federal health care programs.  Although the OIG stressed that … Continue Reading

Called by some the “King of Nursing Homes” for his many low-income nursing home patients in northeast Illinois, Dr. Venkateswara Kuchipudi was recently convicted for referring patients to Sacred Heart Hospital in Chicago in exchange for kickbacks.  Kuchipudi became the fifth physician and tenth defendant to be convicted for a massive Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme that led to the … Continue Reading

Alexandra L. Sobol writes:

Since as early as the fifth century, physicians have taken an oath to do no harm. But one California internist was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on Friday after three of her patients overdosed and died while under her watch. Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng, 40, of Rowland Heights, California was convicted of second … Continue Reading

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires Medicare providers to return overpayments within 60 days of the date they are identified in order to avoid liability under the False Claims Act.  Four years ago, CMS issued a proposed rule to implement this statutory requirement that would have placed a substantial burden on providers to identify and return overpayments within the 60-day … Continue Reading

Under the federal Affordable Care Act, physicians and other providers have only 60 days to refund overpayments to the Medicare program before they face potential liability under the False Claims Act.  In addition, if CMS or the Medicare Area Contractor (MAC) identifies an overpayment, physicians have a limited period of time to respond or reply to the overpayment demand before … Continue Reading

This week the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion 15-16 addressing a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation (the “Requestor”) that would seek donations from third parties (including drug manufacturers) and provide financial assistance with out-of-pocket patient expenses for outpatient prescription drugs.

Under the proposed arrangement, the Requestor would maintain two disease funds, one of which would provide assistance to patients … Continue Reading

This week, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued OIG Advisory Opinion No. 15-15 regarding a proposed arrangement in which a hospital would bill a radiology group for transcription of the radiology group’s reports for patients who are not hospital patients, but rather patients of a third-party clinic that provides radiology studies and refers to the radiology group. Under the … Continue Reading