The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has ordered labs that perform COVID-19 testing to report test data to state and local public health agencies by August 1, 2020. What makes the … [Read more...]
GAO Report
Federal COVID-19 Testing Data Collection Effort Has Been Ineffective
July 3, 2020
The federal government has done a poor job of collecting and reporting COVID-19 testing data to the CDC since the pandemic began. That’s the conclusion of a U.S. Government and Accountability Office … [Read more...]
TOOL
Model COVID-19 Exposure Control Plan
June 4, 2020
Regulators have made it clear that workplaces, including labs, must implement written plans to control COVID-19 exposure risks at the site. Here’s a Model Plan template your lab can adapt that … [Read more...]
Stark Law
How Coronavirus Public Health Emergency Offers Potential for Temporary Stark Relief
March 17, 2020
On Jan. 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared novel coronavirus, aka, COVID-19, a public health emergency (PHE). While it might sound like the highest level of government … [Read more...]
Compliance Perspectives: New Laws & the Top 5 Challenges Lab Compliance Officers Face in 2020
January 2, 2020
Labs remain at the forefront of the federal government’s suspicious persons list and health care fraud enforcement agenda. But in addition to the customary laws that labs are used to, the government … [Read more...]
Brief Your CEO: It May Become Easier to Get CMS Stark Clearance for Business Deals with Referral Sources
October 17, 2019
Part of the challenge of running a lab compliance program is making your officers aware of how business transactions your lab makes with a physician that refers patients to you for testing creates the … [Read more...]
SAFETY
Ergonomics in the Laboratory Setting
July 28, 2019
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio Sometimes when I am talking about lab safety and the topic turns to ergonomics, I get an unusual reaction from the audience—laughter. It … [Read more...]
LEGISLATION
New Broad All-Payor Kickback Law Impacting Laboratories, Commission-based Compensation and more
January 14, 2019
By Danielle Sloane bio and Chris Climo bio In a recent piece of federal legislation intended to address the opioid crisis across the United States, Congress enacted a new all-payor kickback … [Read more...]
COMPLIANCE GUIDANCE
Compliance Perspectives: Avoid Kickback Liability by Steering Clear of MD Processing Fees
December 10, 2018
Editor's Note: Two months ago, we talked about paying referring physicians a fee for collecting and processing blood, urine, tissue and other specimens. (G2 Compliance Advisor, Oct. 9, 2018, p. 1). … [Read more...]
FALSE CLAIMS
Feds Target Providers Who Took Free Test Cup Kickbacks from Millennium Labs
June 18, 2018
Free point-of-care test cups from Millennium Labs have become radioactive. So far, at least six different providers have agreed to fork over significant amounts (ranging from $40K to $186K) to settle … [Read more...]
