The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was enacted in March 2020 as part of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FFCRA, among other things, provided funds for diagnostic testing and services for people without insurance for COVID-19. These funds were distributed through the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities
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NY Doctor Indicted for Medicare Fraud Related to Genetic Testing and Equipment
The government is continuing to take a close look at laboratory testing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On February 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in New Jersey issued a superseding indictment against a New York physician. The indictment claims the physician committed healthcare fraud and conspired to defraud the United States by…
How Did They Get My Protected Health Information?
Telehealth Update: Controlled Substances & E/M Claims
Prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”), the federal Ryan Haight Act allowed a provider to prescribe controlled substance medications to a patient only after conducting an in-person evaluation of that patient (with limited exceptions). At the beginning of the PHE, the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) granted temporary exceptions to the in-person requirement and…
6 Key Steps to Respond to a Health Care Investigation (and Related Issues)
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 41, No. 2
The United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and state law enforcement agencies have robust teams investigating and prosecuting health care fraud. Law enforcement often uses advanced data analytics and algorithmic methods to identify newly emerging health care fraud schemes. DOJ also employs nine regional strike forces…
A State-Based Cure – Interested Government Agency J-1 Waivers For Physicians
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 41, No. 1
Recently, the president of the American Medical Association, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, stated in a national address that the physician shortage long-feared is here and that “It’s an urgent crisis…hitting every corner of this country—urban and rural—with the most direct impacting hitting families with high needs…
Top Issues in Negotiating Physician Employment Agreements
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40, No. 12
Successful negotiation of physician employment agreements requires a careful balance of the objectives of the prospective employer with those of the prospective employee while ensuring that the negotiated agreement complies with the federal and state laws that apply to agreements of this type. The prospective employer…
Major Nursing Shortages? Foreign National Nursing Intervention as a Plan of Care.
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40, No. 11
The nursing profession’s vital signs are unstable and require an intervention. The single largest occupation of health care workers is Registered Nurses (RN). It is also the fifth largest profession nationally.[1] Yet the nursing profession is facing extreme shortages as the need for health care…
Value-Based Care Ushers in a New Era for Primary Care Providers
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40, No. 10
In an age of highly polarized opinions, there is a common consensus to address the rapidly rising health care costs in the United States. Research shows that the US average gross national product for health care costs is 17.1% while the rest of the world average…
Tax Issues in Issuance or Repurchase of Equity in Physician and Other Practice Groups
Originally published in Healthcare Michigan, Volume 40, No. 9
Adverse tax issues can arise for physicians and other professional practice groups interested in issuing equity to attract and retain junior physicians. If equity is issued at below fair market value, the new equity owner will incur significant federal income tax consequences on issuance. If the…