On August 15th, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report sure to add fuel to the continuing debate over Medicare payments to rural providers: “Most Critical Access Hospitals Would Not Meet the Location Requirements if Required to Reenroll in Medicare.” After digitally plotting critical access hospital (CAH) and […]
Health Law Alert
Proposed Amendment to False Claims Act: Relief for Innocent Mistakes?
Health care providers and suppliers are well aware that they are living in a world of increased enforcement and that the Federal government has a growing arsenal of tools it uses to enforce the Federal health care laws and regulations. The Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human […]
It’s Complicated: Requests for Patient Information/Access for Research
With increasing frequency, practitioners and health professional students request patient information and/or access to patients or patients’ medical records for purposes of research. The requests are particularly difficult to address in small organizations without an Institutional Review Board (IRB). They can also be difficult to handle because they may be […]
HRSA Issues Additional 340B Compliance Audit Reports and Program Rules
This month, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued additional 340B Program compliance audit results and its final rule on the orphan drug exclusion—clarifying several matters relevant to 340B covered entities amid continuing Program expansion and scrutiny by industry stakeholders. The federal 340B Drug-Pricing Program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers […]
Physician Licensure Discipline – Narcotics and Pain Management
Recent Nebraska disciplinary actions based on lax physician narcotic prescription practices suggest that it would be worthwhile for hospital and clinic medical staff to review their states’ published guidance on pain management practices. Not only do lax narcotic prescription practices place licensure at risk, but disciplinary action short of license […]