Last week, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) announced the Statistical Sampling Pilot Program (Pilot Program). The Pilot Program offers Medicare providers an alternative route, along with the Settlement Conference Facilitation Pilot, to reach a final determination for claims pending at the administrative law judge (ALJ) hearing level…
On June 26, 2014, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law SB 690, allowing a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant to treat a patient without a physician’s referral. Pursuant to the new law, which goes into effect January 1, 2015, physical therapist may now treat self-referring patients without a…
Earlier this week, the boards of Beaumont Health System, Botsford Hospital, and Oakwood Healthcare approved a merger agreement to form a new $3.8 billion nonprofit organization–Beaumont Health. The deal, which still requires state and regulatory approval, would create the region’s largest health system with 8 hospitals, 153 outpatient care sites,…
Technological advancements that allow for quicker and more secure electronic communication have encouraged telemedicine. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) defines telemedicine as “the practice of medicine using electronic communications, information technology or other means between a licensee in one location, and a patient in another location, with or…
In the past year, thousands of health care providers across the country have been excluded without cause from their insurance plan’s provider networks. The proliferation of narrow networks – defined as health insurance plans that limit the doctors and hospitals available to their subscribers – has caused a backlash amongst…
Wachler & Associates partner Andrew Wachler appeared on Fox 2 Detroit this morning to discuss the recent announcement that Beaumont Health System, Botsford Health Care, and Oakwood Healthcare have signed a letter of intent to form a new $3.8 billion nonprofit health system. In his interview, Mr. Wachler described the…
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood of the Eastern District of Michigan sentenced 53-year-old Michigan resident Muhammad Shahab to 50 months in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating almost $11 million in Medicare fraud between August 2007 and October 2009. Shahab and his co-defendants…
On Monday, September 16, 2013, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law legislation that will expand Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents. Medicaid expansion is a national effort initiated through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act increases available federal funding for states…
On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, the Michigan House gave final legislative approval to Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This legislation, House Bill 4714, is expected to be signed by Governor Rick Snyder in the coming weeks. The Affordable Care Act increases federal funding for states…
On July 18, 2013, Detroit’s emergency manager Kevin Orr filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in the Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Emergency manager Kevin Orr, appointed by Governor Rick Snyder, is tasked with financial control of the city and the power to liquidate city assets. Orr is…