Rivkin Radler’s Michael Sirignano wrote an article, “An Insurance Fraud Year in Review,” that was published in the January 6 issue of the New York Law Journal. Among the many cases and settlements discussed were False Claims Act cases involving federal healthcare programs, healthcare fraud related to COVID-19 testing and telehealth services,
CT DPH Suspends Licensure Requirement for Out-of-State Providers; NY Extends Waivers
On December 22, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that it issued an Order temporarily suspending the requirements for state licensure, certification or registration of physicians, nurses, and certain behavioral health providers who are licensed elsewhere in the U.S. or the District of Columbia. The Order will expire on February 15, 2022, if
Bipartisan Bill Proposes to Permanently Expand Certain Telehealth Services
Many of the changes to telehealth requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic on both the federal and state levels were intended to be temporary, as previously discussed here. Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress introduced the Telehealth Extension Act, which would, among other things, eliminate the requirement that patients live in a
Medicare Telehealth Use Increased 63-fold in 2020
A study recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that the number of beneficiaries in the traditional Medicare program who used telehealth increased from 840,000 in 2019 to nearly 52.7 million in 2020. At the same time, the number of visits to doctors’ offices reimbursed under Part B decreased.
2022 Medicare PFS Extends Telehealth Services Expansion
The 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule released on November 2 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added certain services to the Medicare telehealth services list through December 31, 2023. Last year, we wrote about temporary “Category 3” services that were added to the Medicare services list for the duration of
Recent Developments in Telehealth: For the Pandemic and Beyond
On Thursday, November 18, in the next installment of Rivkin Radler’s Healthcare Compliance Lunch & Learn series, Rivkin Radler Partner Eric D. Fader will present an overview of changes in the provision of telehealth services, and federal and state regulation of them, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. New rules and waivers that are
HHS Awards $954 Million to Health Centers
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $954 million to 1,292 community health centers across the U.S. for capital improvements. The funds, to be provided by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the American Rescue Plan Act, will advance health equity initiatives in medically underserved communities.
HHS’s press release
FTC Warns Health Apps on Data Breach Notification
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued a policy statement confirming that vendors of apps and other connected devices that collect personal health information, such as glucose levels, heart rate, or fertility or sleep data, are subject to the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule. The rule, issued in 2009, requires vendors to notify consumers
DOJ Charges 138 with $1.4B in Telehealth Fraud, Other Schemes
On September 17, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced criminal charges against 138 defendants for alleged healthcare fraud schemes that resulted in $1.4 billion in losses. Those charged included 23 doctors, 19 nurses and other licensed professionals, and 96 laypeople, in 31 federal districts across the U.S.
Telehealth-related fraud accounted for about $1.1 billion
Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Adds Coverage for Remote Therapeutic Monitoring
The proposed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule released on July 13 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes a new category of CPT codes for “remote therapeutic monitoring” (RTM). The new codes are in addition to the set of codes introduced in 2019 for remote physiological monitoring, usually called remote patient monitoring