Considering the significant financial incentives and awards provided to whistleblowers, it should come as no surprise that there has been a marked increase in the number of health care fraud investigations commenced by federal and state agencies. The New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”) is one such agency and is increasingly worthy of the attention of health care practitioners who treat Medicaid patients in the state. » Read More
It comes as no surprise that New Jersey is moving forward in expanding the medicinal marijuana program. Since Gov. Murphy took office less than a year and-a-half ago, the number of patients enrolled in the program has almost tripled, and the qualifying conditions have significantly expanded, with the latest condition — opioid use disorder –being added in January 2019.» Read More
Academic Medical Centers must find better ways to deliver and manage lower acuity care as price becomes a more significant factor for patients seeking care. A recent PricewaterhouseCooper’s Health Research Institute survey found that 50% of patients surveyed said they would not pay more for specialty medical care at an academic medical center (AMC).» Read More
New Jersey residents recently gained the “right to die,” as the legislature passed the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act on March 25, 2019. This act gives terminally ill New Jersey residents, who have six months or less to live, the right to request oral medication to end their life.» Read More
Fitness trackers have not only become a prominent part of everyday life, but also a big part of corporate wellness programs. Since fitness watches and health tracking phone apps have risen in popularity, companies have started to integrate these technologies into their wellness programs. » Read More
In January 2019, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rules Committee proposed a rule change to allow medical malpractice plaintiffs to file suit in any county where the defendant regularly did business. This proposed change would do away with the present rule requiring injured patients to file their claims only in the county where the alleged negligence occurred.» Read More
As this blog previously addressed, the price disclosure requirement issued by the Department of Health and Human Services emanated from the Affordable Care Act and requires hospitals to post price information on the internet in a machine-readable format. Starting on January 1, 2019 this became an affirmative obligation for hospitals.» Read More
At a Brookings Institution event last month, Eric Hargan, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced that the agency will be issuing proposed rules to revise federal fraud and abuse regulations that are seen as hampering care coordination and the transformation to a value-based health care system.» Read More
Starting January 1, 2019, hospitals have been reporting their standard charges online in an easily accessible format, due to a new rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, hospitals were required to release a list of prices for their items and services to the public; however, the initial rulemaking required that either the charges themselves be made public, or the hospital’s policy for allowing public review of the hospital’s charges upon request be made public. » Read More
There can be no doubt that the dominant and most oft-debated legal issue affecting the practice of medicine today is the prescribing of controlled substances to patients for pain. At the forefront of the debate is the drug Oxycontin, a powerful opioid produced by the privately-held company Purdue Pharma.» Read More
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