Healthicity Blog

On Dec. 1, 2016, a judge ordered to unseal an indictment of 21 individuals allegedly involved in a $40 million bribe and kickback scheme involving Forest Park Medical Center Dallas (FPMC). 

The OIG recently released their 2017 work plan. And the information is crucial for the success of your organization and compliance program.

Though whistleblower settlements don’t necessarily seem to be slowing down, it does seem that the government is announcing more and more settlements that appear to have originated from government data mining as opposed to whistleblowers.

11,343 individuals and entities have been excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs. The federal government has been awarded or negotiated over $6.8 billion in healthcare fraud judgments and settlements.

On November 15, 2016, the HHS OIG announced that New Jersey OB/GYN, Dr. Labib Riachi, agreed to be excluded from participation in Federal healthcare programs for 20 years.

Each year, the HHS OIG publishes a work plan which highlights areas they will focus their auditing and investigative resources upon. Some of the projects are continuations from the prior year’s work plan while some are new or revised.

Most doctors read medical journals to stay abreast of the most current treatment options or cutting edge research about advancements in clinical care. And more and more physicians are seeing articles in their medical journals about compliance, fraud and abuse.

Many of us have heard the phrase that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. It seems this is proving true with a couple of recent healthcare compliance settlements.