Referral Arrangement Violates Kickback Laws Even If Even Only Purpose Is to Generate Illegal Referrals Case: The U.S. Attorney accused a Kentucky physician of taking a $105 per beneficiary payment … [Read more...]
Whistleblowers
California Case Shows Why Paying Specimen Collection Fees of Any Amount Are a Liability Risk
September 17, 2020
Paying physicians fees to collect and process patient samples for testing is a dicey proposition because it exposes labs to suspicion under the Stark and Anti-Kickback Statute laws. Such arrangements … [Read more...]
Labs In Court
NIPT Lab Company Pays $49 Million to Settle False Billing and Kickback Charges
September 11, 2020
Case: A month after going public, Progenity agreed to shell out $49 million to settle claims of overbilling and paying physicians kickbacks to order its noninvasive prenatal tests (NIPT). The case, … [Read more...]
Stark Law
CMS Proposes to Peel Back Restrictions on Physician Owned Hospital Expansions
September 4, 2020
From the onset, the Administration has assigned a high priority to loosening Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) restrictions. And now CMS has floated two new proposals allowing for greater … [Read more...]
Labs In Court
A roundup of recent cases and enforcement actions involving the diagnostics industry
September 4, 2020
NIPT Lab Company Pays $49 Million to Settle False Billing and Kickback Charges Case: A month after going public, Progenity agreed to shell out $49 million to settle claims of overbilling and … [Read more...]
In the News
Healthcare Organizations Call for Quick Action on Kickback Law Changes
September 3, 2020
Labs and the health industry have been waiting for years for some Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) relief. Last October, HHS, CMS and the OIG finally unveiled the long-awaited plans to … [Read more...]
Labs In Court
Whistleblower Can Sue Lab for Alleged Specimen Fee Kickback Collection Ripoff
September 3, 2020
Case: A whistleblower filed a False Claims Act suit charging a California lab of entering into “sham phlebotomy contracts” paying kickbacks to physicians’ family members and staff in the form of … [Read more...]
Quiz
Can Lab Give Medical Group Free Telehealth Equipment for Non-COVID Treatment and Diagnosis?
July 29, 2020
SITUATION A local physician group in an underserved rural community wants to establish a telehealth capacity enabling it to examine and treat elderly patients who are observing social distancing or … [Read more...]
