On August 15, 2017, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, issued a press release reporting that almost $105 million dollars will be bestowed upon 1,333 health centers across the United States, including its territories; and Washington D.C. Secretary Price stated “Americans deserve a healthcare system that’s affordable, accessible, of the highest quality,
Medical Marijuana 102: NYS Registered Organizations and Dispensaries
This blog post is the second in a series of articles discussing the current state of the law in New York regarding medical marijuana. To read the first post in the series, Medical Marijuana 101: The State of the Law in NY, click here.
One of the biggest questions that people have when discussing
New York’s New Cybersecurity Regulations and its Impact on your Sensitive Health Information
Effective March 1, 2017, the New York State Department of Financial Services promulgated regulations to help protect against cybercriminals and their efforts to exploit sensitive electronic data. These cybersecurity regulations apply to all individuals and entities that “operate under a license, registration, charter, certificate, permit, accreditation or similar authorization under the Banking Law, the Insurance
Second Circuit Sets False Claims Act Pleading Standard For Claim Information
Last week, the Second Circuit held that a False Claims Act relator does not have to plead details of specific alleged false billings or invoices to the government, as long as he can allege facts leading to a strong inference that specific claims were submitted and that information about them are peculiarly within the defendant’s
Medical Marijuana 101: The State of the Law in NY
This blog post will be the first in a series of articles discussing the current state of the law in New York regarding medical marijuana.
There’s no denying that one of the hottest topics in health care law these days is the constant evolution of the state of the law as it relates to the
Supreme Court Limitation on Forfeiture Will Impact Health Care Fraud Prosecutions
Health care fraud prosecutions in the Second Circuit and throughout the country have typically sought forfeiture money judgments against all defendants for the proceeds of the fraud obtained by all members of a health care fraud conspiracy. The Supreme Court recently curtailed these efforts in Honeycutt v. United States. In Honeycutt, the Court
Percentage-Based Billing Contracts Violate Medicaid Regulations and May Constitute Improper Fee-Splitting
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MCFU) of the New York State Office of the Attorney General has recently issued restitution demand letters to providers for allegedly entering into percentage-based contracts with their billing agents. The MCFU letters cite the Medicaid Update March 2001, titled “A Message for Providers Using Service Agents” as follows:
“Implied Certification” Theory Allowed Under the False Claims Act
The Supreme Court recently allowed liability through the implied certification theory of the False Claims Act (FCA), which was raised and upheld in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar. The decision provided for a new applicable standard and resolved the split among circuit courts on whether to recognize the theory.
NY Medical Providers: Use Caution When Soliciting Positive Reviews on Consumer-Review Websites
Consumers often seek online reviews of a business on platforms such as Yelp, CitySearch, Yahoo and Google Plus Pages before purchasing products or services. This includes patients seeking online reviews of a physician or other licensed professional before seeking treatment. Unfortunately, a practice known as “Astroturfing” has developed where businesses attempt to create an impression
OCR’s First Settlement with a Business Associate for HIPAA Violations
Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CHCS) is the first business associate to be held directly liable for violations under the HIPAA rules. CHCS provided management and information technology services to six nursing homes. According to the OCR Resolution Agreement, OCR received separate notifications from each of the six nursing homes