Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
MANY WATCHDOGS EYE HEALTH CARE FRAUD
Health care providers that think the feds are going to get lax about the fight against health care fraud anytime soon are in for a rude awakening, as the recent imbroglio over HHS Office of Inspector General chief Janet Rehnquist makes clear.
Rehnquist announced her intention to leave office March 4, after fraud hawk Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and others raised numerous questions about her management of the OIG and spear headed a move to launch a General Accounting Office probe into her tenure. Her plan was to resign effective June 1.
Settled? Not quite yet — even the plan to resign wasn’t enough for one Congressional health care player. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), architect of the Stark physician self-referral law, sent a letter to President George Bush March 7, calling for Rehnquist to leave sooner rather than later.
“There is no need to prolong the damage she has caused in real and perceived terms for an additional three months,” Stark said in the letter, urging Bush to appoint “one of the current or recently resigned consummate career professionals from that office as acting Inspector General.”
Lesson Learned: Congress still has health care compliance very much on its mind, and any perceived laxity on the part of fraud-busting agencies will be vigorously challenged.
Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
- Medicare:
MEDICARE TAB KEEPS GROWING, ALONG WITH PLANS FOR REFORM
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MEDPAC CHURNS OUT NEW ANALYSIS OF USE, SPENDING DATA
Data being developed for the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s June report clearly suggest that quality [...] - Spending:
HOUSE GIVES MEDICARE REPRIEVE, MEDICAID STILL ON CHOPPING BLOCK
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HEALTH SUBPANEL APPROVES REG REFORM
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BILL OFFERS GOOD NEWS TO M+COS IN SUBURBIA
Medicare+Choice organizations would get a much-needed payment boost under bipartisan legislation proposed by Sens. Charles [...] - Medicaid:
OIG, LONE STAR STATE SPAR OVER DSH
Texas hospitals that serve significant numbers of low-income and uninsured patients would likely face Medicaid [...] - Medicaid:
BAY STATE ACES HOSPITAL PAYMENT REVIEW
Massachusetts’ health department has its ducks in a row when it comes to restricting hospital [...] - Fraud & Abuse:
MANY WATCHDOGS EYE HEALTH CARE FRAUD
Health care providers that think the feds are going to get lax about the fight [...] - HIPAA:
URAC STEPS INTO HIPAA SECURITY ACCREDITATION
Health care providers that want an outside seal of approval for their Health Insurance Portability [...] - HIPAA:
HIPAA QUESTIONS ANSWERED
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The following House bills were introduced: H.R. 1301. A bill to amend title XVIII of [...]
