Regulatory developments—such as the Stark Law blanket waivers and the OIG’s enforcement deferral for use of the waivers—have helped healthcare providers during the COVID-19 crisis, but healthcare fraud remains a prime target of the DOJ and the OIG (in addition to state regulators). Between October 2018 and September 2019, the DOJ obtained over $3 billion in judgments and settlements from fraud claims, a substantial portion of those claims relating to healthcare fraud.[1] The significant increase in qui tam litigation since the 1980s is also notable.[2] So what fraud and abuse actions could regulators pursue in COVID-19’s shadow?
Continue Reading Do Covid-19 Regulatory Changes Pose an Increased Risk of Fraud and Abuse Liability for Healthcare Providers?
CMS Issues COVID-19 Stark Law Blanket Waivers
UPDATE: OIG Issues COVID-19 Enforcement Policy Statement
04.08.20
As noted in our recent alert (4.7.20) (see below), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently issued “blanket waivers” concerning several Stark Law requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. CMS enacted the Stark Law Blanket Waivers to ensure the availability of healthcare services for patients during the current public health emergency and to allow healthcare providers to receive payment for certain claims that, without a blanket waiver, would violate the Stark Law.Continue Reading CMS Issues COVID-19 Stark Law Blanket Waivers