The Health Law Firm Blog

MAY 6, 2024

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 7, 2021, 18 former NBA players were charged in New York federal court for an alleged health insurance fraud scheme to rip off the league's benefit plan, according to an indictment filed in the Southern District [.] By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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Verisys

MARCH 23, 2023

3 Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws Providers Should Know About In 2021, the Department of Justice reported recovering over $5.5 billion from settlements due to fraud and false claims. Over $5 billion of the total amount recovered in 2021 was related to the healthcare industry.

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HIPAA Journal

MARCH 24, 2022

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its 2021 Internet Crime Report , which reveals there were at least 649 ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure organizations from June 2021 to December 2021. billion in 2021 – a 28% increase from 2020.

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Healthcare IT Today

MAY 5, 2023

The following is a guest article by Erin Rutzler, Vice President of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse at Cotiviti In Delaware, more than 250 Medicare patients underwent unnecessary genetic testing based on telehealth consultations that often lasted less than two minutes— costing Medicare thousands of dollars per patient. In 2021, a U.S.

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HIPAA Journal

OCTOBER 26, 2022

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island (ACLU of RI) is taking legal action against the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) and UnitedHealthcare New England (UHC) over an August 2021 data breach that affected more than 22,000 individuals.

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Provider Trust

AUGUST 9, 2022

The Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC) protects patients and consumers by combating healthcare fraud and abuse. During the fiscal year 2021, the report states that the federal government won or negotiated over $5 billion in healthcare fraud judgments and settlements. Monetary Penalties. Of this $1.9

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The Health Law Firm Blog

JUNE 1, 2023

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 18, 2021, a Tallahassee surgeon was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for committing health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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HIPAA Journal

MARCH 24, 2022

Chelan Douglas Health District in East Wenatchee, WA, has announced it was the victim of a cyberattack in July 2021 in which the personal and protected health information of patients was exfiltrated from its systems. Individuals who had their Social Security numbers stolen have been offered complimentary credit monitoring services.

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Healthcare Compliance Blog

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

billion in settlements and judgments have been recovered by the Department of Justice Department (DOJ) related to civil cases involving fraud and false claims in fiscal year 2021. Whistleblowers filed 598 qui tam suits in fiscal year 2021, which resulted in $1.6 More than $5.6 Total recovery now totals more than $70 billion.

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Med-Net Compliance

JUNE 22, 2022

A registered nurse from a veteran’s hospital in Detroit pleaded guilty to charges related to COVID-19 vaccination record cards fraud. Her theft of the cards began at least as early as May 2021 and continued through September 2021. Participating in the fraud can result in the person(s) being prosecuted.

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Compliancy Group

JANUARY 25, 2022

With at least six weeks before final numbers are in, the Department of Health and Human Services HIPAA Breach Reporting Tool website is reporting 713 major healthcare data breaches in 2021, an increase of more than 7.5 By the Numbers: Major Healthcare Data Breaches Increase in 2021. million records in 2021.

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HIPAA Journal

MARCH 16, 2022

Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a settlement has been reached with the Cape Canaveral, FL-based healthcare services contractor, Comprehensive Health Services (CHS), to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations. This is the first settlement to be reached under the DOJ Civil Cyber Fraud Initiative, which was launched in 2021.

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The Health Law Firm Blog

JUNE 10, 2023

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 2, 2021, a doctor and his wife who had been indicted for their roles in a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme asked a New Jersey court to eliminate a bail condition. By George F. Indest III, J.D., The doctor argued that the [.]

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HIPAA Journal

JANUARY 31, 2023

Affected individuals were notified about the cyberattack in August 2021 and were offered complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. Claims of up to $2,500 will be accepted for documented extraordinary losses due to identity theft and fraud. A lawsuit – Lopez, et al.

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HIPAA Journal

MARCH 25, 2022

Horizon Actuarial Services, Clinic of North Texas, and Parkland Community Health Plan have recently announced breaches of the protected health information of patients and plan members. Horizon Actuarial Services Reports Data Theft and Extortion Incident. Clinic of North Texas Victim of November 2021 Cyberattack.

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Provider Trust

MARCH 21, 2023

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General Christi A. Grimm gave a lecture at the 2023 RISE National Conference in early March 2023 about Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C, and the increased risk of fraud due to the rapid growth of healthcare programs. Medicare Advantage will be no exception.

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Med-Net Compliance

JULY 7, 2022

A federal district judge in Miami sentenced the last of five defendants for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme operated out of a physical therapy clinic. According to evidence introduced in court, the billing fraud conspiracy resulted in more than $8 million in false claims being submitted to BCBS.

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The Health Law Firm Blog

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 7, 2021, 18 former NBA players were charged in New York federal court for an alleged health insurance fraud scheme to rip off the league's benefit plan, according to an indictment filed in the Southern District [.] By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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Provider Trust

MAY 9, 2023

What is a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU)? Fraud and abuse are unfortunate realities of the healthcare industry. Hundreds of claims and investigations are carried out yearly to combat the growing number of providers, organizations, and entities contributing to fraud and abuse within state and federal healthcare programs.

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Health Care Law Brief

JULY 21, 2022

On July 20, 2022, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (“ OIG ”) issued a special fraud alert (“ Alert ”) advising “practitioners to exercise caution when entering into arrangements with purported telemedicine companies.” OIG Flags Seven Characteristics of Telehealth Fraud.

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Health Law Advisor

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement statistics for fiscal year (FY) 2021. [1]. billion, FY 2021 marks DOJ’s largest annual total FCA recovery since FY 2014, and more than twice the $2.3 Marking another record, DOJ’s health care recoveries in FY 2021 in non- qui tam actions ($3.6

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The Health Law Firm Blog

MARCH 7, 2022

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 18, 2021, a Tallahassee surgeon was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for committing health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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The Health Law Firm Blog

APRIL 20, 2023

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 18, 2021, a Tallahassee surgeon was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for committing health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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The Health Law Firm Blog

JANUARY 24, 2022

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 18, 2021, a Tallahassee surgeon was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for committing health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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Med-Net Compliance

AUGUST 16, 2022

Five individuals and two for-profit skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in Pennsylvania were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and related healthcare fraud charges. Billing Medicare or Medicaid for services that were not provided is fraudulent activity that is often punishable by fines and imprisonment.

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Med-Net Compliance

JUNE 15, 2022

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement against a Southern California doctor for submitting false claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal between the years of 2011 and 2018 for drugs, procedures, services, and tests that were never administered to patients. In October 2021, the California Department of Justice’s?Division

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Health Law Advisor

MAY 3, 2022

On April 20, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a nationwide coordinated enforcement action targeting COVID-19-related fraud involving charges against 21 individuals across nine federal districts, and over $149 million in alleged false claims submitted to federal programs. [1]. 2] See id. [3]

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Innovaare Compliance

MAY 26, 2022

On April 15, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released potential fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) trending data collected from Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (plan sponsors) for fourth quarter 2021. The most prominent suspect was misrepresentation of services/products (48.87%).

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The Health Law Firm Blog

MARCH 16, 2022

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 2, 2021, a doctor and his wife who had been indicted for their roles in a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme asked a New Jersey court to eliminate a bail condition. By George F. Indest III, J.D., The doctor argued that the.

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Provider Trust

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

On July 20th, 2021, the Texas Medical Board allegedly ordered an immediate suspension of his license after an investigation revealed that Mendez had violated ethical boundaries by initiating a sexual relationship with a patient. Mendez faces seven counts of healthcare fraud and up to 10 years in federal prison.

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Provider Trust

JANUARY 26, 2022

It’s no secret–when fraud enters healthcare, things get risky. But how exactly does the HHS-OIG (Office of Inspector General), the main body responsible for conducting investigations into suspected fraudulent activity, address healthcare fraud and assess future risk of these bad actors? Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S.

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Hall Render

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

billion from False Claims Act (“FCA”) cases in the federal fiscal year 2021, “the second largest annual total in False Claims Act history” and more than doubling the FCA recoveries for the DOJ from fiscal year 2020. Whistleblowers themselves received $237 million in 2021. Health Care Fraud Actions.

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Hall Render

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

On September 2, 2022, the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) published a study assessing potential Medicare program integrity risks related to the proliferation of telehealth services during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. million in Medicare fee-for-service payments. Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S.

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Florida Health Care Law Firm

DECEMBER 7, 2021

Telemedicine pharmacy arrangements continue to be of significant interest to fraud enforcement. The federal jury trial in the billion-dollar telehealth pharmacy fraud scheme resulted in conviction on 22 counts of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

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HIPAA Journal

JANUARY 27, 2023

Des Plaines, IL-based Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, one of the largest providers of social services in the state, has announced that its systems were compromised and ransomware was used to encrypt files. UCHealth works with a software vendor called Diligent, which provides business operation tools and hosted services.

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HIPAA Journal

APRIL 8, 2024

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, a provider of reproductive healthcare services in Los Angeles County, has proposed a $6 million settlement to resolve all claims related to a 2021 data breach that exposed the personal information of more than 409,437 patients.

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The Health Law Firm

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 7, 2021, 18 former NBA players were charged in New York federal court for an alleged health insurance fraud scheme to rip off the league's benefit plan, according to an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York. By George F. Indest III, J.D.,

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