The Supreme Court will hear argument next week in two consolidated cases that will decide what standard applies when a doctor asserts a good faith defense to a criminal prosecution for unlawful drug distribution. The argument on Tuesday, March 1, will address the convictions of two doctors accused of running “pill mills” and seeking to profit in the midst of
SDNY Judge Jed Rakoff rejected Northwell Health’s bid for insurance coverage for its increased costs and business losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic in a recent decision. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Northwell was inundated with new patients, had increased cleaning costs, and stopped offering outpatient care services and elective procedures. In the ruling, Judge Rakoff held that Northwell
Continue Reading Northwell Loses Bid For COVID-19 Insurance Coverage
Last week, in Washington v. Barr, the Second Circuit addressed a case seeking to strike down the federal government’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The Court held that plaintiffs had failed to exhaust their administrative remedies before the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Rather than dismissing the case, however, the Court
Continue Reading Second Circuit Holds Case Challenging Marijuana Classification As Schedule I Drug In Abeyance Pending Agency Exhaustion
Home health care aides working twenty-four hour shifts can be paid for as little as thirteen hours under certain conditions, according to a March ruling from the New York Court of Appeals in Andryeyeva v. New York Health Care, Inc. The Court of Appeals remanded, however, for lower courts to consider whether employers were adhering to the sleep and
Continue Reading Home Health Care Aides Working Twenty-Four Hour Shifts Can Be Paid For Thirteen Hours If Employer Meets Sleep and Meal Time Requirements
EDNY Judge Nina Gershon analyzed several False Claims Act issues in United States ex rel. Omni Healthcare Inc. v. McKesson Corp., ruling on first-to-file, Rule 9(b), and statute of limitations issues.
Relator Omni Healthcare alleged that defendants improperly used “overfill” in vials of injectable drugs. “Overfill” is the amount of a drug in excess of the amount indicated on
Continue Reading EDNY False Claims Act Overfill Decision Highlights Importance of Timely Naming All Defendants
In federal criminal investigations, corporate health care providers have faced a Department of Justice increasingly focused on individuals, one that has limited or foreclosed cooperation credit for corporations not providing complete information on all individual involvement. At a conference in late November, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein outlined a modification of these stringent guidelines, to some extent for criminal prosecutions
Continue Reading Need For Discretion In Civil DOJ Cases Drives Rosenstein To Modify Yates Memorandum Individual Accountability Policy
As recounted in our recent analysis of the 2018-19 New York State Budget (“Enacted Budget”), the Enacted Budget included new restrictions on fiscal intermediaries participating in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (“CDPAP”) designed to prevent the dissemination of “false or misleading” advertisements. Effective April 1, 2018, the newly enacted § 365-f(4-c) of the New York Social Services Law
Continue Reading Newly Enacted Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program Advertisement Regulation Challenged in Federal Court
Last week, in LeadingAge New York, Inc. v. Shah, the New York Court of Appeals addressed Department of Health regulations limiting executive compensation and administrative expenditures by healthcare providers receiving state funds. The Court upheld limits related to state funding, but struck down a limit that applied regardless of the source of funding.
In 2012, Governor Cuomo directed agencies
Continue Reading NY Court of Appeals Strikes Down DOH Limits On Use Of Private Funds For Executive Compensation And Upholds Limits On Use Of Public Funds
New York State does not require hospitals to insure medical malpractice claims, either through the purchase of commercial medical malpractice insurance or the establishment of an adequately funded self-insurance program. New York has never required such insurance. There are many hospitals which did not insure medical malpractice claims in the past, and a number that currently do not.
Historically
Continue Reading Should New York State Require Hospitals To Insure Medical Malpractice Claims?
In United States ex rel. Wood v. Allergan, Inc., the Second Circuit addressed the issue of whether a violation of the False Claims Act’s “first-to-file” rule compels dismissal of an action or whether it can be cured by the filing of an amended or supplemental pleading. The Court’s acceptance of the interlocutory appeal was addressed here in a post
Continue Reading Second Circuit Answers First-To-File Question: Amended Complaint Cannot Save Later-Filed FCA Action