On October 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a request for information (RFI) notice seeking public comment on a proposed national healthcare provider directory. CMS states in the RFI that the directory would be a “centralized data hub” for healthcare provider, facility, and entity directory…
On October 3, 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report detailing OIG’s findings related to the efficacy of the Unified Program Integrity Contractor (UPIC) program. As many healthcare providers may know, UPICs are the primary program integrity contractors for…
Recently, the US Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a data brief analyzing telehealth services covered by Medicare and related program integrity risks. OIG sought to evaluate the impacts on program integrity due to the regulatory flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic…
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the United State Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a template to assist with preparing advisory opinion requests. This template can be used to ensure that requestors include the information required for the advisory opinion process. The template lays out…
One of the most destructive types of audits that a Medicare provider can suffer from a Medicare contractor is a UPIC audit. A UPIC (Unified Program Integrity Contractor) is a type of Medicare contractor that combines several program integrity functions that were previously handled by different entities. The primary goal…
With low rates of Medicare reimbursement, complex and unclear regulations, tremendous administrative burden, and the often arbitrary actions of Medicare contractors, a growing number of physicians and healthcare providers may wonder if there is an alternative to participation in Medicare. There is. Some providers have the option to “opt-out” of…
On Friday, August 26, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Labor, and Department of Treasury (collectively, the Departments) issued a new Final Rule updating key regulations pertaining to the No Surprises Act. The Final Rule addresses disclosure requirements…
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued OIG Advisory Opinion No. 22-14 that applied its November 2020 special fraud alert targeting remuneration associated with speaking arrangements funded by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. The November 2020 special fraud alert addressed potential Anti-Kickback…
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced several new changes in its Work Plan update in August 2022. The OIG Work Plan forecasts the projects that OIG plans to implement over the foreseeable future. These projects usually include OIG audits and evaluations. Below…
More of the long-promised enforcement actions related to COVID-19 pandemic relief and healthcare programs have started to unfold. This time it is demands from the Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) that providers repay funds they have received for providing COVID-19 testing to the uninsured during the pandemic. As part…