Earlier this month, the Eleventh Circuit Court partially affirmed a lower court’s decision in United States vs. Aseracare, stating that disagreements between doctors related to a patient’s prognosis does not qualify as hospice fraud under the False Claims Act (FCA).
Earlier in the year, I discussed the case with with Hospice News stating, “Settlements
A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (Eleventh Circuit) recently affirmed two grants of summary judgment in favor of defendant Lincare, Inc. d/b/a Diabetic Experts of America (collectively, “Diabetic Experts”) by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (District Court). Diabetic Experts provided diabetic supplies to Medicare patients, some of whom had previously ordered medical supplies from Diabetic Experts for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To promote sales, staff at Diabetic Experts would place calls to individuals who had previously ordered COPD-related equipment regarding a need for diabetic supplies.
Continue Reading Eleventh Circuit Affirms Two Grants of Summary Judgment in Favor of Diabetic Experts
The government’s FCA enforcement efforts have continued to focus on key areas concerning the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. In fact, drug and device manufacturers accounted for nearly half of the enforcement recoveries from the healthcare industry last year. Manufacturers also saw enforcement agencies focus on product promotion and speaker program practices, as well as alleged violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).
Continue Reading FCA Issues to Watch: Pharmaceutical and Device Developments