Anthony Huber, Class of 2021, Belmont Law On February 26, 2021, Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) released a statement regarding telehealth and the potential to expand its coverage in the future. In its statement, OIG recognized that telehealth coverage …
OIG and Hospice Compliance
Alisha Patel, Class of 2022, Belmont Law In recent years, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Justice began carefully analyzing hospice providers’ claims to ensure compliance with anti-fraud measures such as the Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and the False Claims Act. As a result of hospice providers finding …
Department of Justice Announces False Claims Act Recoveries
David Brust, Class of 2022, Belmont Law The False Claims Act was enacted in 1863 in order to combat fraud against the US Government during the Civil War. The act prohibits any person from knowingly submitting false claims to the government. Any person who violates the False Claims Act is “is liable for treble damages …
Rural Hospitals at Risk of Financial Ruin as Medicare Loans Come Due
Alisha Patel, Class of 2022, Belmont Law A recent report by the Kaiser Health News reported that rural health hospitals are struggling to keep doors open or even pay back their Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment loans they received to assist navigating the pandemic. However, repayment of these loans is officially due this month and …
United States Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Landmark Pharmacy Benefit Manager Regulation Case
Anthony Huber, Class of 2021, Belmont Law On October 6, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States listened to oral arguments from opposing parties in the Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (“Rutledge”) case. The issue in the Rutledge case is whether the 8th Circuit erred in holding that Arkansas’ statute regulating pharmacy benefit …
Amy Coney Barret and the Future of the ACA
Jacob Freeland, Class of 2021, Belmont Law As a result of President Donald Trump’s latest pick for the United States Supreme Court: Amy Coney Barrett, there has been a great deal of discussion regarding the implication that this appointment could mean for the future of the Affordable Care Act. The appointment of Barrett is surely …
President Trump Signs Mental Health Executive Order
David Brust, Class of 2022, Belmont Law On October 5, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to address “ongoing mental- and behavioral-health concerns” magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the order, President Trump stated his Administration’s goals are to prevent suicide, end the opioid crisis, and improve mental and behavioral health. The order was …
American Hospital Association Criticizes Provision in CMS’ Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems Final Rule
Anthony Huber, Class of 2021, Belmont Law On September 2, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) filed an unpublished version of the upcoming Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (“IPPS”) Final Rule for 2021. According to CMS, the finalized policies in the IPPS Final Rule support its key priorities such as, strengthening Medicare and …
Tennessee COVID-19 Recovery Act
Jacob Freeland, Class of 2021, Belmont Law Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law the Tennessee COVID-19 Recovery Act on August 17, 2020. By doing this, Tennessee joins a growing list of states that have enacted state laws that provide expansive protections to various individuals and organizations from actions arising from loss, damages, injuries, …
Covid-19 Response – Temporary Altering of Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Requirements
David Brust, Class of 2022, Belmont Law In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, twenty-three states made temporary changes to their scope of practice requirements for nurse practitioners (twenty-two of the states are classified as reduced or restrictive practice states). One of the most common changes states made was suspending or modifying physician supervision or collaboration …