On February 8, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a quality standard memorandum (QSO Memo) updating and revising a memorandum it issued on January 5, 2018, to now permit the texting of patient orders among members of the patient’s health care team. CMS’s 2018 memorandum clarified CMS’s then-current position that texting
Electronic Health Records
CMS Proposes IPPS and LTCH PPS Payment and Policy Changes for FY 2021
On May 11, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies for hospitals under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for FY 2021 (the “Rule”). IPPS and LTCH PPS proposed rules are released on a fiscal year cycle to define payment and policies for inpatient hospitals, long-term care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and hospices. CMS also released a fact sheet highlighting certain major provisions in the Rule.
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DOJ Announces Settlement with EHR Company to Resolve Criminal and Civil Kickback Investigations Tied to Opioid Prescribing
On January 27, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $145 million settlement with Practice Fusion Inc., an electronic health records (EHR) software company that resolves parallel criminal and civil investigations involving allegations of kickbacks, false claims, and non-compliance with federal EHR program requirements. We previously discussed a preliminary settlement in this case here, and in announcing the finalizing of that settlement the DOJ has shed more light on the allegedly improper conduct at issue. According to the DOJ, this is the first criminal action ever brought against an EHR company, and the “unique” deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) imposed by the DOJ against Practice Fusion that seeks “to ensure acceptance of responsibility and transparency as to” underlying conduct may reflect a new approach to settlements with corporate health care defendants.
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Allscripts Announces $145 Million Preliminary Settlement with DOJ Related to an Investigation of Practice Fusion, a Recently Acquired EHR Company
In its second quarter Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Allscripts addressed its announced agreement in principle with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve investigations into certain alleged practices of Practice Fusion, an electronic health records (EHR) vendor acquired by Allscripts in February 2018 for $100 million. Allscripts indicated the agreement is still subject to further negotiation and government approval, and would likely include additional non-monetary terms, including a deferred prosecution agreement, if a finalized settlement is reached.
Continue Reading Allscripts Announces $145 Million Preliminary Settlement with DOJ Related to an Investigation of Practice Fusion, a Recently Acquired EHR Company
CMS Extends Hospital and CAH Attestation Deadline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the eligible hospital and critical access hospital (CAH) attestation deadline from February 28, 2018 to March 16, 2018. The extension provides additional time to submit attestation data and electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data. Eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals attesting to the CMS Electronic…
EHR Vendor Settles False Claims Act Suit for $155 Million
Electronic health record (EHR) vendor eClinicalWorks (eCW) recently entered into a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) to resolve allegations under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) that eCW misrepresented its software and paid customers kickbacks to promote its products. The settlement imposes joint and several liability for payment on the EHR Vendor and three of its founders for $154.92 million, and liability for settlement payments individually by a developer ($50,000) and two project managers ($15,000 each). The settlement resolves a qui tam whistleblower action and the government’s complaint-in-intervention in United States ex rel. Delaney v. eClinicalWorks LLC, 2:15-CV-00095 (D. Vt.).
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