Court Strikes Down HIPAA Web Tracking Guidance
In a case brought by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued…
OIG Semiannual Report Results Summary Fiscal Year 2023
Key Points: OIG released the 2023 Semiannual Report to Congress (April 1 to September 30), describing significant risks, problems, abuses,…
OIG Issues New General Compliance Program Guidance
On November 6, 2023, the DHHS OIG published its long-awaited General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG). It has been 15 years since the…
Federal Trade Commission Moves to Ban Non-Compete Agreements
Key Points: Non-compete agreements, also called restrictive covenants, are a common requirement for employment in health care. They may appear…
OIG Issues Final Rule on Information Blocking Enforcement
Civil Monetary Authority enforcement rule is now in effect The Cures Act defines information blocking as “a practice that interferes…
New CMS Nursing Facility Minimum Staffing Standards
Key Points: On September 2nd, CMS proposed that nursing homes participating in Medicare and Medicaid must meet new specific nurse…
DOJ Charges 78 Defendants for $2.5 Billion in Healthcare Fraud
Key Points: DOJ recently announced it was charging 78 defendants for their alleged participation in a $2.5 billion health care fraud and…
Chief Compliance Officer Convicted in a $50 Million Medicare Fraud Case
Key Points: A federal jury convicted Steven King, the Chief Compliance Officer for a pharmacy holding company, for fraudulently billing…
OIG to Update Compliance Program Guidance Documents
The HHS OIG announced it is modernizing the accessibility and usability of their publicly available resources. This includes their Compliance…
CMS Posts Hospice and Home Health Agency Ownership Information
Key Points: CMS announced in April 2023 that it is releasing, for public viewing, ownership data for more than 6,000…
FTC Enforcement of the Health Breach Notification Rule
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the first time has taken enforcement action under its Health Breach Notification Rule against…
OIG Reports Not Having Enough Agents To Take On All Fraud Cases
Key Points: The HHS Inspector General’s April 2023 testimony before Congress reported that although the OIG is addressing cases of…