Home Health & Hospice Week
BAYADA Settles Whistleblower Charges For $17 Million
Sometimes an acquisition is more than an acquisition. Home care companies hoping to boost referrals from senior living companies should watch out for a prohibited arrangement spelled out in a new fraud settlement. Moorestown, New Jersey-based BAYADA bought two home health agencies in Arizona from a national “retirement home operator.” The purchase was actually a kickback to induce referrals from the “retirement communities operated by the seller throughout the United States,” the Department of Justice alleges in a release. The case was sparked by a qui tam lawsuit filed by David Freedman, the former director of strategic growth for BAYADA between 2009 and 2016, the DOJ notes. “One of the most powerful tools” in the government’s effort to combat healthcare fraud “is the False Claims Act,” the DOJ emphasizes. BAYADA has agreed to pay $17 million to settle the charges. Freedman will get $3 million of that, according to the Justice Department. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and our partners in the Department of Justice and at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) will continue to pursue those who, like BAYADA, offer kickbacks for patient referrals, no matter the disguise those kickback arrangements might wear,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig vows in the release.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- COVID-19:
Another $25.5 Billion In COVID Relief Funding Is Now Up For Grabs
Waste no time in applying once portal opens on Sept. 29, expert urges. As COVID-19 [...] - Reimbursement:
Feds Grant 60-Day Grace Period For PRF Reporting
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Vaccination Mandate A Mixed Bag For HH, Hospice Providers
Requirement for employers with 100+ employees may apply to you, even if Medicare mandate doesn’t. [...] - Mergers & Acquisitions:
National Chain Continues To Flex Acquisition Muscle
Plus: Staffing crunch leads hospital to shut HHA’s doors. The rapid pace of the home [...] - Billing:
Newest NOA Instructions Address Confusing Billing Scenario
Warning: Patient status codes are important. The closer the implementation gets for the new home [...] - Industry Notes:
BAYADA Settles Whistleblower Charges For $17 Million
Sometimes an acquisition is more than an acquisition. Home care companies hoping to boost referrals [...] - Industry Notes:
Keep Your Eye On Congress For HCBS Funding Boost's Fate
Demand for in-home care services is high, but will the payment for such services be [...] - Industry Notes:
GAO Urges Increased HCBS Oversight
Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should keep a tighter leash on Home [...] - Industry Notes:
HQRP Data Penalty Jumps From 2% To 4% Starting With January Submissions
Don’t get confused by Medicare’s language when it comes to how much your pay will [...] - Industry Notes:
OIG Cracks Down On Docs' CCM Pay
Be on the lookout for hassles over CCM payments to your ordering physicians to potentially [...] - Industry Notes:
Agency Owner Draws 12-Year Prison Sentence For Medicaid Fraud
One of the most high-profile, egregious cases of Medicaid home care fraud has ended with [...] - Industry Notes:
FL Hospices Pay After Self-Reporting Nurses With Expired Licenses
Be sure to keep track of your nurses’ licensure status, or you could end up [...]
