On November 4, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the conviction of several South Florida addiction treatment facility operators following a seven-week trial. The initial indictment was filed in September 2020, charging ten defendants for their alleged conduct in committing health care fraud, wire fraud, violations of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA), the Anti-Kickback Statute, and money laundering. The defendants included the co-owners of two entities providing treatment and therapy for substance use disorder, several other management level individuals, a referring chiropractor, and several marketing employees.
Continue Reading DOJ Focused on Toxicology Testing – EKRA and Anti-Kickback Statute Violations Abound
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CMS Interim Rule Makes Sweeping Changes in Response to COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
By Nathaniel Arden, Conor Duffy, Peter Struzzi, Melissa (Lisa) Thompson & Robinson+Cole's Health Law Group on
On May 8, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published an interim final rule with comment period (the “Interim Rule”) in the Federal Register, setting forth additional regulatory waivers and other changes to healthcare regulations and policies in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). At a high level, the Interim Rule encompasses topics including expansion of telehealth, support for and expansion of COVID-19 testing, allowing certain licensed professionals to practice at the top of their licenses, Medicare payments for teaching hospitals, changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program regarding financial methodologies, and application and risk assumption deadlines for accountable care organizations, among other changes. CMS has also updated provider-specific fact sheets on recent waivers and flexibilities, available here. Below are highlights from the Interim Rule. Providers are encouraged to read all applicable sections of the Interim Rule in their entirety here. Comments may be submitted to CMS within 60 days of the date of publication in the Federal Register.…
Continue Reading CMS Interim Rule Makes Sweeping Changes in Response to COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
CMS Interim Rule Makes Changes to COVID-19 Laboratory Test Ordering and Payment For Medicare and Medicaid Providers and Beneficiaries
By Robinson+Cole's Health Law Group on
On April 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule with comment period published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2020 (the Interim Rule) which – among other things – makes changes to Medicare requirements for ordering COVID-19 laboratory tests, Medicare reimbursement for specimen collection and Medicaid reimbursement for laboratory services.…
Continue Reading CMS Interim Rule Makes Changes to COVID-19 Laboratory Test Ordering and Payment For Medicare and Medicaid Providers and Beneficiaries