Articles and Blogs

Every “day” we see examples where the usage of ambiguous wording in employment policies leads to confusion and litigation.  While the people who drafted the wording may have decent annual salaries and may have understood what their wording was intended to mean, one wonders if they should “also receive two weeks paid vacation per year”…Read More

On February 8, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued an Alert to physicians to exercise caution when reassigning their Medicare payments.  Specifically, the OIG stated that physicians who reassign their rights to bill the Medicare program and receive Medicare payments by executing the CMS-855R application may…Read More

On November 21, 2011, after a five-day jury trial in the Dubois County Circuit Court in Jasper, Indiana, the jury returned a defense verdict in favor of the defendant, Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center of Jasper, Indiana. DRI members Christopher L. Riegler and Kimberly A. Emil of Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, PC…Read More

On February 8, 2012, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services issued an Alert cautioning physicians who reassign their Medicare benefits. The Alert included precautions to physicians to perform appropriate due diligence of the entities to which they reassign their benefits. The OIG also alerted physicians to utilize…Read More

Today, Hall Render published an article providing some practical guidance and points for consideration when implementing an EHR donation arrangement.  Please click here to view the article. Should you have any questions, please contact Michael Batt at 317.977.1417 or mbatt@hallrender.com.

As part of their on-going video series, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has posted a video on their self-disclosure protocols. Self-disclosure is a key element of an effective compliance program, and can possibly reduce any civil monetary penalties (CMPs) associated with a violation or instance of noncompliance. The OIG has provided many videos in…Read More

January, 2012, saw two different examples of the Government using the False Claims Act to bring a gun to a knife fight. In the first case the gun won the day. In the second, it backfired. Both cases were brought in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and in both the Government was the defendant…Read More

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a transmittal detailing changes for coding hospice discharges, which will provide greater clarity as to why the patient has been discharged from hospice care.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has pushed back the start of two anti-fraud programs to June due to provider concerns.  Two pilot programs, one that would require prior authorization for scooters and power wheelchairs and one allowing recovery audit contractors (RAC) to review claims prior to payment, were initially slated to begin January 1, 2012.  

This installment of Hall Render’s Health Law Broadcast series on health care reform is designed to provide you with the insight, analysis and practical suggestions with respect to the various reform initiatives that will affect your organization.   The Congressional Budget Office (“CBO”) recently released a report detailing the nation’s budget and economic outlook for the next…Read More