Compliance News Roundup: Workplan Updates November 2018

1. Physicians Pay More than $1.5 million to Government for Kickback Scheme – “Four physicians from three states have settled with the United States Government for their roles in a kickback scheme that included West Virginia physicians, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced. Four physicians each agreed to a settlement with the United States Government after being accused of participating in a kickback scheme with Southwest Laboratories, Medscan Laboratory, sales representatives affiliated with Southwest and Medscan, and others, thereby causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare in violation of the Federal False Claims Act, the Physician Self-Referral Law (“Stark”), and the Anti-Kickback Statute.” Get the full scoop >>

2. Lexington Therapy Practice Agrees to Pay $200,000 to Resolve Allegations That It Submitted False Claims to Medicare and Medicaid – “United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Vital Energy Occupational Therapy and Wellness Center, LLC, headquartered in Lexington, South Carolina, has agreed to pay $200,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false or fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for physical and occupational therapy services.” Get the full scoop >>

3. Deeper Than the Headlines: Work Plan Updates for November 2018 – In November we saw some new updates to the OIG Workplan. Make sure you review all of them to see if your organization will be affected. Below you’ll find some highlights that I found the most interesting, including (but not limited to) assessing inpatient hospital billing for Medicare beneficiaries and protecting Medicare hospice beneficiaries from harm. Get the full scoop >>