Compliance Update

Just days before the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) was about to expire on May 12, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a temporary rule that extends flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine. More than 38,000 public comments were made in response to a proposed rule issued on...

Increasing concerns about underpayment and non-payment by insurance companies have providers focused more than ever on cash services. Many of the active and emerging players in the med spa, IV hydration therapy, and concierge medicine spaces are misguided on the issue of compliance, however. Both legal exposure and health care regulatory compliance create real risk, even in the cash pay space....

The use of E-Verify has been mandatory in Florida for public employers and for private employers who contract with state and local governments or receive state incentive dollars. A new Florida law, however, will require all private employers with at least 25 employees to use the E-Verify system during their onboarding process beginning on July 1st. E-Verify is an online verification portal for...

The federal government continues its crackdown on COVID-related fraud with the announcement that 18 defendants in nine federal districts are charged for their alleged participation in various healthcare-related fraud schemes resulting in more than $490 million in false billings and theft from pandemic programs. The charges build on the success of the April 2022 COVID-19 Enforcement Action and...

An Austin, Texas drug testing lab agreed to pay nearly $6 million to settle allegations it violated the Federal False Claims Act by paying volume-based commissions to marketers for six years. The settlement grew out of a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Alex DiGiacomo, the former billing manager of Genotox Laboratories Ltd. According to the settlement agreement, between 2014 and 2020, Genotox drug...

With the uncertainties of personal injury protection benefits (“PIP”) lurking, providers who focus their practice on PIP, are thinking of the next plan to stay in business. It is unclear what will come of HB837 and what parts of the bill will be accepted or denied by Gov. Ron DeSantis. What we do know is tort reform is an inevitable thing, and providers, especially Chiropractors must be ready....