In its first Advisory Opinion of 2011, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) used its discretion and applied the general standards of a new exception to the federal Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) law when approving a hospital system’s program to waive copayments and deductibles and provide free lodging and …
Medical Device Manufacturer Exactech Enters DPA & Director of Sales Pleads Guilty
January 10, 2011 Leave a Comment
Last month, Florida-based Exactech, Inc., entered into a one-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to orthopaedic surgeons in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Under the DPA, a government-appointed monitor will review …
Physician Fraud and Abuse Guidelines: Starting Young
November 23, 2010 Leave a Comment
According to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) study, less than half of all U.S. medical schools provide training on Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse laws. Further, the OIG study found that only two-thirds of residency and fellowship programs reported providing their residents or fellows with any …
OIG Okays Charitable Contribution Program To Encourage Physicians to Meet with Drug and Device Manufacturers
September 1, 2010 Leave a Comment
In a new twist on pay to play, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (“OIG”) has concluded that a charitable contribution program designed to encourage physicians and other health care providers to meet with drug and device manufacturer representatives does not violate …