HC Compliance Essentials

4 Hospice Compliance Hotspots You Must Watch

Take special care in hospice/nursing home arrangements. The OIG has hospice agencies in its sites with over two dozen areas on its watch list. Tighten up your compliance plan to make sure your compliance plan is covering all the bases.…

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DOJ: 2 SNF Chains & Their Principles Named In Omnicare, Risperdal Complaint

At issue: The antipsychotic drug Risperdal & fair market value. Last week, the Department of Justice announced that nation’s largest nursing home pharmacy, Omnicare Inc., will pay $98 million to settle False Claims Act allegations. IVAX Pharmaceuticals (now a subsidiary of…

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COMPLIANCE TRENDS: Covenant Case Holds Stark Reminders for Hospitals, Physicians

Don’t rely overly on the employment exception — or discount a competitor’s ability to stir up trouble. Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, Iowa, recently agreed to fork over a hefty $4.5 million to settle a federal False Claims Act lawsuit involving alleged…

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Physician Compliance: Stark Made Simple?

If your gut reaction to this headline is to say NO WAY, the American Gastroenterological Association may have you eating your words. I didn’t believe they could do it myself, at first, but I’m pretty impressed by this up-to-date, plain…

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How Do I Calculate Fair Market Value for Stark?

Question: I work for a health care provider that owns the office building. The owners want to rent a bit of empty office space in the building to another provider. Since referrals between the two are possible, we want to…

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