Congress enacted the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA) in 2018 to address the potential for bribes, referred to as illegal kickbacks, between diagnostic labs, clinics and other clinical treatment facilities. Lawmakers enacted EKRA as part of the...
New York officials recently arrested a nurse, claiming she stole the credit card of a patient who was under her care and later used it to purchase groceries and gas. The nurse has worked as a healthcare provider at the Staten Island University Hospital since 2007....
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced success in the prosecution of a case involving allegations of fraud within pharmacies located throughout New York and New Jersey. The government accused the pharmacy owners of paying kickbacks to doctors and...
It was likely a busy shift. The floor was likely understaffed. The nurses were likely all doing their best to serve their patients, to help them feel comfortable and get the care they need. One nurse made a mistake, gave the wrong medication, and a patient died. What...
The United States Department of Health and Human Safety (HHS) recently accused University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center of losing thousands of protected patient information. The feds stated the cancer center made these mistakes: Laptop with sensitive information...
The COVID-19 vaccine is making its way throughout the community, but who gets the vaccine first? The answer to this question is not always clear and some hospital systems are finding themselves publicly chastised for failing to go in what others may view as the...
Walgreens, Walmart Pharmacy, CVS and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company - one of these things is not like the other. Billionaire and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban recently unveiled his latest venture, an enterprise within the healthcare industry. The move leaves many...
The fact that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecuted 3 EKRA cases in 2020 shows that the feds are serious about this law. As such, lab owners are wise to take steps to better ensure compliance. One important step: learning from past mistakes. This...
Congress enacted the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA) in 2018 as part of an overall push to address the opioid crisis. Lawmakers intended this law to provide authorities with the ability to hold medical professionals accountable who received kickbacks in...
One can argue that value-based care is clearly in the patient’s best interest. Such arrangements allow for the patient to receive care from multiple specialists and reduce the financial burden that may come with visiting more than one physician. However, lawmakers...
