The United States Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report that states most Medicare claims from durable medical equipment supplies for payment for replacement positive airway pressure (PAP) device...
Month: October 2018
TX hospital retaliates after a doctor complained about poor care
It would seem advantageous for medical professionals to discuss concerns about the quality of care provided to patients. One would hope hospital executives would appreciate updates from physicians about concerns.Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Texas...
Noncompete agreements and physicians: Are they on the rise?
The number of doctors starting up private practices is on the decline. Instead of working on their own, physicians are taking jobs with hospitals. Executives with the hospital often require these medical professionals to sign a noncompete agreement as part of their...
DOJ accuses telemedicine operation of health care fraud
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released the indictment for four men and seven companies the agency has accused of involvement in a billion-dollar health care fraud scheme. The accusations include conspiracy to commit health care fraud, mail fraud and...
When is Facebook use in the hospital cause for a lawsuit?
Social media use can result in litigation. Two specific instances that can result in legal woes for physicians and other medical professionals include issues of negligence or defamation.Scenario #1: Negligence. A physician or other medical professional could find him...
New York officials charge 5 doctors for drug crimes
New York officials recently released the indictment of five local physicians accused of drug crimes. The government stated the physicians were “drug dealers in white coats” who knowingly and intentionally sold addictive and dangerous medications, fueling...
TX doctor faces prison time for drug and healthcare fraud charges
The government has come down hard on yet another physician accused of playing a role in the nation’s opioid crisis. Seven individuals died from overdose, allegedly from medications prescribed by the accused physician. The government states the distribution of...
Woman works at nursing home without proper licensure: 3 lessons
It takes a variety of support staff to keep a nursing facility running. One key element: nurses. Nurses provide medical care and compassion to residents at these facilities. Without a strong nursing staff, nursing homes are not successful. Nursing home faces...
Man expelled from Haiti to face healthcare fraud charges in U.S.
After over ten years of investigating and searching, the United States Department of Health and Human Services has recaptured and charged a man with healthcare fraud. In response to the initial charges made ten years ago, the accused fled. He left the country and,...
Two Texas women accused of over $30 million in healthcare fraud
A sheriff’s department in Texas has charged two office administrators at medical clinics with healthcare fraud. The state has accused the women of conspiring with a doctor at the clinic to file fraudulent claims with the Office of Worker’s...