Everything is bigger in Texas, and as far as the feds are concerned that old adage holds true for healthcare fraud in recent years. In the past, the feds could generally only pursue allegations of illegal kickbacks against providers who billed federal programs....
Stark Law/Anti-Kickback Statutes
Are payment assistance programs a violation of the AKS?
The Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) is a federal law enacted by lawmakers to help reduce the risk that medical professionals would use financial motivation to guide medical decisions. This intent is good, but the application can go awry. One example involves the use of...
3 lessons from “referral” case for AKS violations
The term “referral” is not clearly defined within the Anti-Kickback Statue (AKS). This ambiguity can make it difficult when building relationships with other healthcare providers. A recent case provides a reminder for the need to tread carefully when making these...
Feds accuse health records vendor of AKS violation
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) is one of the most well-known anti-fraud laws in the country. This criminal statute has a huge impact on the healthcare industry and can affect physicians, executives, lab owners and anyone else that files claims for payment...
Physician faces decades imprisonment for healthcare fraud
Feds recently accused a physician of falsely certifying patients for home health services. The prosecution is aggressively building a case against the medical professional and claims that she received financial incentive for these certifications. What exactly...
The feds say my COVID-19 testing lab violated EKRA, now what?
The federal government chose to ease enforcement of certain regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA) was not one of them. This provision within the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery...
Can a neurosurgeon have ties to a medical device company?
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a settlement between the feds and a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon owned two medical device distributorships and was accused of the following: The feds state the accused used illegal kickbacks to...
Feds give 4 execs prison time for healthcare fraud
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the sentencing for four healthcare executives. The feds accused these execs of healthcare fraud and money laundering crimes. The allegations stem back a decade and involve claims the four worked together...
DOJ goes after TX dermatopathologist for False Claims Act violations
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced charges against a dermatopathologist out of Texas. The DOJ states the fraud began in 2015, when the physician authorized a management company to use the lab’s license to submit claims for payment for...
Lab owner agrees to pay $2M to settle AKS claim
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to crackdown on its fight against illegal kickbacks. The feds are clear in their belief that what it considers bribes within the healthcare industry for medical services or equipment taint the ability to provide...