The False Claims Act (“FCA”) is a punitive civil statute that acts as the federal government’s primary tool for combatting fraud in government health care programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. In fiscal year 2020 alone, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) obtained more than $2.2 billion in FCA settlements and judgments (not including potential
Health Care
Home Is Where the Health Care Is: New Study Shows Increase in Number of Homebound Older Adults While CMS Expands Home Health Reimbursement Model
JAMA Internal Medicine recently published an article finding that the number of homebound adults aged 70 or older more than doubled during the last decade. In 2011, approximately 5% of adults aged 70 or older were homebound compared with 13% in the same age group in 2020. The authors indicate the steep incline in 2020…
Where Are We Now? Trends in Telehealth Utilization
Many forces have been driving the growth of telehealth over the past decade, including value-based reimbursement models, population health management trends, and technology advancements. As we have discussed in previous blog posts, the COVID-19 pandemic was the jet fuel that propelled telemedicine utilization into the stratosphere. This growth was, in large part, due to…
New York Medicaid Still Holding Onto Pandemic-Era Telehealth Expansions Even After COVID-19 Waivers Disappear
As discussed in a prior blog post, effective June 25, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order 210, which officially declared the end of the New York State of Emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the New York emergency telehealth waivers have expired. These telehealth waivers had previously…
Abrupt End to New York State of Emergency Creates Uncertain Future for Out-of-State Licensed Health Care Professionals
On June 24, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order 210, which officially declared the end of the New York State of Emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic effective June 25, 2021. The issuance of the Executive Order marked an important milestone for life post-pandemic and a welcome result for small businesses…
HHS Offers Increased Flexibility Regarding the Use of Provider Relief Fund Grant Money and Associated Data Reporting Obligations
This is the second of two posts discussing the June 11, 2021 updates to the PRF reporting requirements and FAQs.
As discussed in our earlier blog post, on June 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released revised COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (“PRF”) Reporting Requirements, superseding all prior versions of…
In Significant Update to the Provider Relief Fund, HHS Sets New Deadlines for Providers to Spend PRF Grant Money and Report Uses
This is the first of two posts discussing the June 11, 2021 updates to the PRF reporting requirements and FAQs.
On June 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released revised COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (“PRF”) Reporting Requirements, superseding all prior versions of reporting requirements issued by HHS, along with associated…
OSHA Releases Emergency Temporary Standards to Protect Healthcare Workers from COVID-19 Infection
On June 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced “an emergency temporary standard to protect healthcare workers from contracting coronavirus.” The standard focuses on healthcare workers that are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, aiming to increase protections for those who “continue to be at…
Combating COVID Crimes: First Wave of DOJ Enforcement Actions Target Fraudulent Schemes
The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic saw an unprecedented coming together of the health care industry to treat communities beset by a deadly virus that strained provider resources across the country. But just as normalcy returns, enforcement arms of the federal government have announced action against bad actors who took advantage of the COVID-19…
A New Era for Home-Based Patient Care
Among the numerous consequences of the Covid-19 Pandemic is a well-documented emphasis on the home. Work at home. Exercise at home. See your doctor or other health provider at home. Home-based health care beyond the traditional nursing care is yet another change wrought by the pandemic that will not likely be eliminated as we come…