Those who wish to enter the field of nursing must meet many requirements before they are able to begin their profession. One is the completion of the NCLEX exam. The prerequisites to take the exam varies as each Nursing Regulatory Body (NRB) has its own requirements...
Month: June 2020
Orthopedic practices and health care fraud: 2 misconceptions
Orthopedic practices, like any other medical specialty, can face allegations of health care fraud. The government pursues these allegations aggressively and, if successful, can request penalties that include millions in payment and potential jail time. Additional...
OIG and coronavirus funds: 2 enforcement efforts in action
The current coronavirus pandemic has led various federal government programs to provide funds to struggling businesses. Some of these funds are set aside specifically for health care businesses. These funds often come with restrictions and improper use can result in...
AKS violations: A timeline of a typical case
Lawmakers designed the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) to help better ensure medical professionals focus on the well-being of their patients. Lawmakers intended this piece of regulation to reduce the risk of medical decisions based on financial gain. But what...
Some health care companies return federal funding
The United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent out federal funding to help qualifying businesses within the health care marketplace. These funds were part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. In an effort to better ensure...
Lab owner sues hospital for breach of contract
Running a lab is a rewarding and difficult profession. In some cases, there are business considerations. Contracts may govern these arrangements. In a recent case, a lab owner accused a hospital of failing to fulfill its agreements as listed within the contract. The...
The evolution of the AKS to charge labs with health care fraud
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) is a key piece of legislation used by the government to prosecute healthcare businesses and practitioners for fraud. The law is broad, and applies to services billed by physicians, nurses and even diagnostic labs. How did the...