It all started back in 2018. At that time, a whistleblower stepped forward with evidence that a healthcare provider in the Houston area was billing Medicare for services that were never provided or were dangerous to the client. Upon review, the government decided the...
Health & Health Care Law
Doctor gets 10 years for prescribing opioids
Federal and state authorities continue to crackdown aggressively on allegations of wrongfully prescribing pain medication like opioids. It is important for practices throughout the state to be aware of this trend and make sure prescription practices are in line with...
Can nurses keep working if accused of misconduct?
It depends on several factors, including the nature of the accusation. Nurses form an essential part of society and medical staff, and an accusation of misconduct can come as a very unpleasant surprise, and it can cause great harm. Who can file a complaint against a...
Can I go to prison for healthcare fraud?
Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals must follow various federal regulations. A failure to do so can result in serious penalties, including civil fines, the failure to get reimbursement from federal healthcare programs like Medicare and the loss of...
When is ordering a lab test a violation of federal law?
Ordering a test for a patient seems like an innocuous and potentially necessary step towards quality medical care, but the government does not always see it this way. The federal government is cracking down on physician practices and hospitals who overutilize testing....
What should my group know about the CMS’ new rules?
Rural hospitals are struggling throughout the country. A recent piece in Becker’s Hospital Review notes that 138 rural hospitals have closed since 2010. Notably, a record 19 closed in 2020 alone. To address this growing problem, the United States Centers for Medicare...
3 tips to increase the odds of a successful healthcare merger
Healthcare businesses, like any other business, often switch hands. Sometimes one business buys out the other and in other situations it may be a merger. Whatever the details of the transaction, it is important for those involved to keep in mind that a healthcare...
Can my healthcare business regain its Medicare contract?
Private practices, dentist offices, hospitals, any facility that offers medical services may be eligible to bill Medicare for these services. But what happens if there is an issue with the billing procedure? What if that issue snowballs to the point where Medicare...
I am looking at buying a clinic in Texas. What should I know?
Healthcare merger and acquisition deals can provide multiple opportunities for financial growth. Healthcare is generally a stable and often growing market, so investments tend to pay off. But how can you better ensure that your deal pays off? First, figure out how...
DOJ tries to thwart healthcare merger
There are all sorts of hurdles to overcome when working through healthcare mergers. In a recent example, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit to stop a merger between UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare. Talk about a hurdle. More on the players...