Over $30 billion has been set aside by the government to use for incentive payments in an effort to get health care professionals to switch to electronic records. One reason for the push towards electronic records is the ability exchange patient information between systems. As a way to efficiently capture…
The ONC announced last Wednesday that the Medicare electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments will begin disbursement this week. The payments will be made to providers who have met all of the program conditions, including the meaningful use requirements. Eligible participants can expect to receive a payment based on 75%…
The percentage of physicians in the United States using electronic health records (EHR) has increased by nine percent (20% to 29%) over the past twelve months. The push towards electronic records has been firmly supported by the current and previous presidential administrations. The Obama Administration aims to have at least…
On May 4, 2011, the Seventh Circuit Court was faced with the issue of whether a doctor’s actions violated the anti-kickback statute (United States of America v. Borrasi). Dr. Roland Borrasi was convicted of Medicare fraud after he accepted payments in the form of a salary from a psychiatric hospital…
Two hospitals in Anoka County have fired 32 employees for accessing the medical records of patients without permission or a legitimate reason to do so. The employees accessed the medical records of certain patients that were hospitalized due to a massive drug overdose stemming from a party; the overdoses were…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a checklist for physicians and treating practitioners to follow in order to help them comply with documentation requirements for the face-to-face examination that must occur prior to the physician ordering a Power Mobility Device (PMD) for a Medicare beneficiary. The…
Despite efforts by various groups to have the face-to-face encounter requirement delayed for hospices and home health agencies, the requirement became effective as of April 1, 2011. For more information regarding this issue, please see a recently authored article by Wachler & Associates attorneys Amy K. Fehn and Jennifer Colagiovanni entitled…
CMS Recently released a proposed rule which would reverse the policy of heightening restrictions on suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). The proposed rule relaxes previously onerous rules regarding the prohibition of telemarketing and beneficiary solicitation which were implemented on September 27, 2010. If you have…
If the rumors are true, tomorrow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Trade Commission will be releasing voluminous regulations governing the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (“ACO”) and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. But before we receive all the minutiae…
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an unfavorable Advisory Opinion involving a transportation supplier’s proposal to offer skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) two payment plans for transportation of the SNF’s Medicaid-covered residents. The OIG determined that the arrangement could potentially violate the Anti-Kickback Statute…