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...
The law is constantly evolving. Arguably, this is a good thing. In many cases this evolution helps to better ensure the laws remain relevant. However, in some cases the changes may cause more problems than they fix. That is the issue diagnostic labs are currently...
There are various regulations that help better ensure patient safety when compounding medications. Although mostly beneficial, these regulations can prove challenging for pharmacies as well as diagnostic testing and reference labs. The government will conduct audits...
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...
UnitedHealthcare Services and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (plaintiffs) recently filed suit against a Dallas-based lab. In this suit, the plaintiffs claim the lab was making illegal kickback payments to increase the use of their facility. According to court...
Diagnostic labs are a valuable part of the health care marketplace. These labs can offer a variety of services within hospitals and as stand-alone facilities. Those who are interested in joining this marketplace, or who are relatively new to the health care industry,...
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...
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...
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) along with other federal agencies who enforce the regulations that apply to diagnostic labs have called on these healthcare facilities to implement compliance plans. What...
