On July 10, 2019, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced the indictment of Dr. Vasso Godiali of Bay City, charged with health care fraud in the amount of $60 million, and money laundering for financial transactions involving approximately $49 million in proceeds derived from the scheme. According to the indictment,…
Anyone practicing midwifery in the State of Michigan will be required to be licensed in midwifery beginning August 1, 2019. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) began accepting applications on May 6, 2019. Under Public Act 417, which established Part 171 in the Public Health Code, an individual…
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) recently launched a new licensing platform for physicians (MDs and DOs) and 10 other licensed professions called the Michigan Professional Licensing User System (MiPLUS). The new system is intended to provide an improved interface for licensees and consumers and reduce mailing…
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HOME HEALTH AGENCIES – In a fact sheet released July 11, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) detailed its annual update to the Medicare rate, as well as its plan for the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and other proposals for calendar…
By Adrienne Dresevic, Esq. of The Health Law Partners, P.C., Olivia Dresevic JD expected 2020 On June 1, 2019, Joanne Chiedi assumed the role of Acting Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) following Daniel R. Levinson’s resignation. Ms. Chiedi recently sat down with the…
The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) has announced an expansion of the Settlement Conference Facilitation (SCF) program available to the appellant community as of June 7, 2019. Previously, the option of an SCF was only available to appeals filed on or before November 3, 2017. An SCF is…
Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the nondiscrimination provision that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in any health program that receives federal funding. On May 24, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a new…
Following a circuit split over the statute of limitations on whistleblower actions, the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued a unanimous decision on May 13, 2019. This decision held that, regardless of government intervention, a longer statute of limitations may apply to qui tam lawsuits under the False Claims Act (FCA). Two…
In order to secure a new Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) contractor, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has temporarily paused both Short Stay and Higher Weighted Diagnosis-Related Group (HWDRG) reviews. Previously, two BFCC-QIOs have performed HWDRG reviews since 2014 and Short Stay reviews…
As of April 30, 2019, the maximum penalties for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) have new annual limits. These updated penalties will be based on the level of culpability associated with the violation, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Organizations that…