Archive
Wade Emmert
FTC sues to block $350 million sale of 2 Tenet Healthcare-owned hospitals in Memphis area
The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block Farmers Branch-based Tenet Healthcare’s $350 million sale of two hospitals in the Memphis area to another healthcare system.…
California Doctor Pleads Guilty to EKRA Violations
On September 15, 2020, Doctor Akikur R. Mohammad, a California resident and drug treatment facility owner, pled guilty before the U.S. District Court of New Jersey…
San Antonio ER hospital sued for alleged overbilling
A former patient has sued Baptist Emergency Hospital in San Antonio and its owner alleging they fraudulently overcharged for lab work to generate higher reimbursements. This…
Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Extends Compliance Deadlines under Interoperability Final Rule
In an effort to provide additional relief to a health care system strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT…
OCR Settles Tenth Investigation in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative
Riverside Psychiatric Medical Group (“RPMG”) has agreed to take corrective actions and pay $25,000 to settle a potential violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s right of…
OIG Semiannual Report to Congress
OIG issued its Semiannual Report to Congress summarizing the activities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), for the…
Justice Department accuses Anthem of Medicare fraud
Yet another allegation of Medicare Advantange risk adjustment fraud, this time by Anthem. I wrote about the government’s case against Cigna here. The case alleges that…
Private Schools and the Intersection of HIPAA and FERPA
My wife works as an Administrative Assistant at a local private school. As you might expect, they take very seriously their responsibility to help stop the…
CMS Encourages Faster COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing
CMS is changing its payment methodology to encourage higher throughput of COVID-19 diagnostic testing. Previously, CMS would reimburse $100 per test Starting January 1, 2021, Medicare…
DOJ sues Cigna, alleging $1.4B in Medicare Advantage fraud
Cigna falsified the health conditions of its Medicare Advantage plan members to coax CMS into making larger payments to the insurer on behalf of beneficiaries, a…