Does a Subpoena Have to Be Served in Person?
Being served with a subpoena immediately leaves you with lots of questions, and the subpoena itself provides very few answers. It also provides you with very little time to get your bearings and make the decisions you need to make in order to protect yourself. If you received your subpoena...
Read moreDOJ Targets COVID-19 Test Fraud
While federal authorities are continuing to aggressively investigate and prosecute Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) fraud—which has been called the "biggest fraud in a generation"—this isn't the only form of COVID-19 fraud that remains on the government's radar. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is...
Read moreWhat are Some Compliance Standards That IV Therapy Providers Have to Meet?
Intravenous (IV) therapy is one of the newest popular trends in medicine, particularly among the wealthy and celebrities. Common therapies are IV drips of vitamins, which purport to boost the immune system, and low-level painkillers that claim to cure a hangover. Enough people have sought them out that many spas...
Read more4 Common Mistakes When Creating a Corrective Action Plan
Healthcare companies that have been found to be in noncompliance with their billing systems are often required to create and implement a Corrective Action Plan in order to continue to work with the private insurer or the public healthcare program that initiated the investigation. The fact that it is up...
Read moreThe U.S. Supreme Court Just Overturned Two Doctors’ Opioid Convictions. What Does This Mean for You?
In a notable decision for doctors who prescribe opioid medications to their patients, the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned the convictions of two doctors who were charged with illegally dispensing opioids—potentially filling hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions between 2011 and 2015. The Supreme Court's decision in Ruan v. United...
Read moreU.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Targets Podiatrists for Alleged Foot Bath Schemes
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently targeted multiple podiatrists suspected of defrauding Medicare and other healthcare benefit programs. Each case has involved allegations of operating an unlawful “foot bath scheme” with medically unnecessary treatments that are not eligible for reimbursement. It seems that podiatrists are now squarely within...
Read moreCMS and DOJ Target Healthcare Providers Offering Sanexas Pain Management and Treatment Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are targeting healthcare providers that offer Sanexas pain management and treatment services to their patients. Targeted healthcare providers face substantial risks—including the risk of recoupment liability, Medicare exclusion, criminal fines, and even federal imprisonment in some...
Read moreFlorida Lawmakers Attempt to Pass Legislation Regulating Pharmacy Benefit Managers
In recent years, the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) occupy has grown significantly. However, as their role—and power that comes along with it—grows, the regulation of PBMs has been slow to follow. In fact, PBMs are not regulated on the federal level, and many states stay out of the...
Read moreLack of Understanding of Healthcare Rules Exposes Labs and Other COVID-19 Testing Facilities to Federal Fraud Investigations
When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rolled out the first COVID-19 test in February 2020, labs and other healthcare providers rushed to make the test available to as many people as possible. Federal authorities understood that the urgency of the situation called for leniency with regard...
Read moreCOVID-19 Testing Fraud Spurs the Largest Avalanche of Healthcare Fraud Investigations in U.S. History
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it was only a matter of time until people seeking to profit from the pandemic started getting into trouble. First it was price gouging for masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), toilet paper, and other necessities. Then it was fraud under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)...
Read more