On March 26, 2012, OSHA published its Final Rule modifying the current Hazard Communications Standard at 29 CFR Parts 1910, 1915, and 1926 in order to align the standard with the U.N.’s Global Chemical Labeling System.
Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and all employers (including health care employers) with hazardous chemicals in their workplace are affected by the changes in the hazard communication requirements. Continue reading
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Posted in Compliance Programs, Health Care, Health Care Providers, Health Care Workers, OSHA, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance
Daniel R. Levinson, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“OIG’”) gave a keynote presentation at the Health Care Compliance Association’s 2012 Compliance Institute this past week.
The presentation was full of interesting details and issues relating to how the OIG and IG Levinson approach fraud and abuse enforcement. Below are some highlights of IG Levinson’s presentation.
The OIG’s ROI
IG Levinson reminded the audience of the significant return on investment the government gets from its fraud fighting efforts. According to IG Levinson, the government now recovers an average of 7 dollars for every dollar spent on its fraud fighting efforts. In his discussion, he pointedly remarked on how these statistics continue to show the significance of fraud in the health care system. Continue reading
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Posted in Anti-Kackback, Compliance Programs, DHHS, Exclusion, Fraud and Abuse, General, Health & Human Services, Health Care, Health Care Providers, Medicaid, Medicare, OIG, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance
On April 10, 2012, the GAO released a report (GAO-12-351) entitled Medicare Program Integrity – CMS Continues to strengthen the Screening of Providers and Suppliers. The report focusses on many of the ongoing Medicare program integrity initiatives that CMS has been implementing and that are required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”).
The GAO specifically looked at Medicare provider enrollment procedures. The GAO report focused on: (1) how CMS and its contractors use provider and supplier enrollment information to prevent improper payments and factors that may affect the usefulness of this information, and (2) the extent to which CMS has implemented new provider and supplier enrollment screening procedures since the enactment of PPACA. Continue reading
Lifewatch Services, Inc., an Illinois-based company, recently agreed to pay the United States $18.5 Million to resolve False Claims Act allegations filed by two separate whistleblowers. In addition to the settlement, Lifewatch entered into a comprehensive Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General.
The whistleblower complaints alleged that Lifewatch improperly billed Medicare for ambulatory cardiac telemetry (“ACT”) services. Continue reading
Benesch
Ari J. Markenson, JD, MPH
Janet K. Feldkamp RN BSN LNHA CHC JD
Robert W. Markette, Jr. CHC
W. Clifford Mull
Frank W. Carsonie
Daniel J. O'Brien
Benjamin J. Parsons
Meredith L. Rosenbeck
Alan E. Schabes
