Wachler & Associates Health Law BlogDOJ Contacts Hospitals About Improperly Billed Heart Implants
The Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly set an email to hospitals nationwide on August 30, 2012 instructing them to examine implantable defibrillator surgeries covered by Medicare to determine if they were improperly billed to Medicare. The email, as reported by modernhealthcare.com, included a “resolution model” with instructions for hospitals to self-audit, and estimate monetary penalties under the False Claims Act.
The DOJ has been conducting an investigation into improperly billed implantable defibrillator surgeries for more than two years, and the resolution model sent to hospitals is the first attempt by the DOJ to come to a settlement resolution for these instances.
The investigation centers around a National Coverage Determination (NCD) set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which establishes the instances in which an implantable defibrillator is covered by Medicare.
If you have questions about the DOJ investigation, or need assistance developing a compliance plan for implantable defibrillator surgeries, please contact an experienced healthcare attorney at Wachler & Associates at 248-544-0888.