Wachler & Associate’s attorney Amy Fehn, as a member of the ABA’s ACO Task Force, recently participated in the drafting of comments on CMS’ proposed regulations for ACO participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The proposed regulations will govern the way in which ACOs will contract with CMS to…
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the deadline for the submission of the Pioneer ACO Model program letters of intent to June 30, 2011. Additionally, the Application deadline has been extended to August 19, 2011. Applications received from organizations that have not submitted a letter of…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a favorable advisory opinion for a Requestor regarding a vaccine reminder program. In February 2011, the Requestor, a manufacturer of pneumococcal bacteria vaccines for immunization of infants and toddlers, expanded a vaccine reminder program to entities…
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced a new program on Wednesday to encourage the innovation of health information technology through prizes and challenges. The program, called Investing in Innovations (i2) Initiative, was created under the America Compete Reauthorization Act of 2010 and has already…
Through a proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have answered the call by organized medicine to extend the deadline for qualifying physicians to meet electronic prescribing requirements and add additional hardship exemptions. With the current rules, eligible physicians must use an e-prescribing system to complete at least…
A sleep medicine and durable medical equipment company, Areté Sleep LLC, Areté Sleep Therapy LLC, and Areté Holdings LLC will pay a $650,000 settlement pursuant to federal authorities discovering the company to have submitted false claims to Medicare over a seven year span. According to federal prosecutors, the false claims…
On June 1, 2011, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced that it expects to recover an estimated $3.4 billion in connection with its Medicare and Medicaid investigations, audits, and reviews. The amount was accrued between October 2010 and March 2011 in the form of penalties, fines, and settlements. Of…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to roll out its Part D RAC program during the third quarter of 2011. In implementing the program, CMS has contracted with ACLR Strategic Business Solutions to be the Part D recovery audit contractor. This company has already recovered tens of…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced last week that in the past year healthcare providers have received $158.3 million in EHR incentives. The incentives have been advocated by the Obama administration to encourage doctors and hospitals to use digital health records that meet federal standards. This encouragement coincides…
Healthcare providers that wish to participate in CMS’ Pioneer ACO Model program must submit a letter of intent to CMS by June 10, 2011. This program is the latest initiative in the development of ACOs. The Pioneer ACO program is an opportunity for groups of providers that are already accustomed…