Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia entered an order critiquing the government’s lack of evidence in a criminal case alleging violations of the Anti-kickback Statute (AKS).
Continue Reading Federal Court Rejects Government’s Evidence of Anti-Kickback Statute Violations
On November 14, Judge Edward Chen in the Northern District of California issued rulings on the pending motions to dismiss in U.S. ex rel. Osinek v. Kaiser Permanente, granting in part and denying in part Kaiser’s motion to dismiss. United States ex rel. Osinek v. Kaiser Permanente, No. 3:13-cv-03891-EMC, Dkt. No. 223 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 25, 2022). These rulings offer insight into the evolving landscape and permissibility of legal falsity claims predicated on sub-regulatory guidelines.
Background
The United States previously intervened in six qui tam complaints alleging that Kaiser violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting inaccurate diagnosis codes for its Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, resulting in higher reimbursements. Specifically, the government had alleged two different theories of liability: (1) the addition of diagnosis codes to medical records via addenda that did not exist at the time of the visit were factually false; and (2) the addition of diagnosis codes that were unrelated to the patient visit via addenda were factually and legally false, even if clinically accurate. Continue Reading Judge Chen’s Message to Medicare Advantage Providers: ICD Guidelines Aren’t Suggestions
When healthcare providers and other government contractors are subject to scrutiny for bills submitted to the government, it is often the result of a whistleblower complaint filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.
Continue Reading False Claims Act Fundamentals: Self-Disclosures
I recently provided insight for a Law360 article outlining Pfizer’s request to have the Supreme Court weigh in on the scope of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).
Continue Reading Insight on Request for Supreme Court Review of Anti-Kickback Statute’s Scope
The third quarter of 2022 brought a number of noteworthy False Claims Act (FCA) settlements, including several over $20 million and one in the high nine figures. This post summarizes key settlements of interest to healthcare providers.
Continue Reading False Claims Act Settlements to Know from Q3 2022
On October 17, the U.S. Supreme Court summarily denied three petitions asking the Court to resolve a growing circuit split on the application of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b) in False Claims Act lawsuits.
Continue Reading Third Time is Not the Charm – Supreme Court Denies Cert. on Rule 9(b) Split Again
Please join us for the 8th Annual Nashville Healthcare Fraud Conference hosted by Bass, Berry & Sims and the Tennessee Hospital Association. Eligible for more than seven hours of CLE credit (including ethics), this complimentary program will take place on December 8th in Nashville (full day). The conference will be broadcast virtually the mornings of December 15th and 16th. Continue Reading Register Now | 8th Annual Nashville Healthcare Fraud Conference
In a decision issued on September 30, Judge Andrew Carter of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied Anthem Inc.’s motion to dismiss a government lawsuit filed in March 2020 claiming Anthem submitted inaccurate diagnosis data in conjunction with its Medicare Part C plans that resulted in alleged overpayments in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA).
Continue Reading SDNY Ruling in Anthem Sends a Signal to Medicare Advantage Litigants
In a September 2022 filing in U.S. ex rel. Osinek v. Kaiser Permanente, the Kaiser Permanente consortium defendants (Kaiser) highlighted the distinction between clinically inaccurate diagnoses (factual falsity) and clinically accurate but incorrectly coded diagnoses (legal falsity) and its relevance in False Claims Act (FCA) actions.
Watch the recording of our latest webinar, in which our panel of national healthcare fraud and abuse attorneys will discuss how to disclose a Stark Law violation to CMS.
Continue Reading Watch On-Demand | How to Submit a Stark Law Self-Disclosure Webinar