The U.S. Biden administration announced Thursday that 28 health care providers and payers have signed the White House’s voluntary commitment aimed at ensuring the safe development of artificial intelligence (AI), adding to...more
On April 11, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion No. 22-06, concluding that a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s sponsored genetic testing and...more
On August 6, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) released an updated and enhanced version of its voluntary Code on Interactions with Health Care Professionals (HCPs). The updated Code will take effect...more
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering dueling proposals related to drug pricing under Medicaid and Medicare, including the Republican-led H.R. 19, the “Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021” and a reintroduced...more
4/26/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Drug Rebate Program ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
Patient Access ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda
Following on last October’s publication of two proposed rules, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published on November 20 two final rules intended to “modernize and clarify” the physician self-referral (Stark)...more
Along with proposed Stark Law exceptions designed to accommodate value-based care models, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS or the agency) adopted additional revisions to the Stark Law regulations (the final...more
12/1/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Patient Referrals ,
Physicians ,
Stark Law ,
Value-Based Care
On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) finalized its previously abandoned 2019 proposal to exclude certain rebates paid by drug manufacturers from the...more
11/25/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Healthcare Reform ,
MCOs ,
Medicaid Drug Rebate Program ,
Medicare Part D ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law
On November 16, 2020, the U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a rare Special Fraud Alert – a type of guidance historically used to signal enforcement priorities – “to highlight certain...more
On September 23, the HHS OIG published Advisory Opinion No. 20-05, advising that OIG found “highly suspect” a manufacturer’s proposal to create a copay subsidy program to help certain financially eligible Medicare...more
9/30/2020
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Anti-Steering Rules ,
Co-payments ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Manufacturers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part D ,
OIG ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Subsidies
The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) announced the launch of a portal that will post announcements and information issued by OIG that are related to COVID-19. ...more
Along with proposed Stark Law exceptions designed to accommodate value-based care models, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS or the agency) proposed additional revisions to the Stark Law regulations (the...more
10/21/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Carve Out Provisions ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Life Sciences ,
Patient Referrals ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Stark Law ,
Value-Based Care
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion No. 18-10, advising that the OIG would not pursue an enforcement action under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS)...more
On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published a wide-ranging request for information (RFI) seeking ideas on how it might add or modify safe harbors to the...more
8/29/2018
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
CMMI ,
Comment Period ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare Shared Savings Program ,
OIG ,
Request For Information ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law
With just a week left before a new administration takes office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) finalized changes to the regulations authorizing OIG to exclude...more
1/13/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Exclusions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) ,
OIG ,
Safe Harbors ,
Social Security Act