A federal appeals court has ruled that a government contractor may justifiably calculate the amount a provider owes for Medicare overpayments by conducting a limited audit and then extrapolating from those...
Geriatrician ranks grow but gains outpaced by senior population growth
By
Josh Henreckson
May 30, 2024
The number of geriatric clinicians has risen in recent years, but not enough to match the demand caused by the aging US population, according to a new report from the United Health Foundation of health...
CMS cuts to ambulance pay for dialysis will ‘devastate’ access for some
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 13, 2018
Skilled nursing providers and ambulance companies are worried that a looming cut to ambulance reimbursement could limit access to care for dialysis patients, as the new rate drives payment below actual...
Comments on a public conference call led to whistleblower lawsuit against nursing home therapy provider
By
McKnight's Staff
May 28, 2013
Comments made during a therapy provider’s public conference call in 2006 aroused the suspicion of a listener, who went on to file a whistleblower lawsuit. This was disclosed in a recent court filing...
Lawmakers call for public disclosure of Medicare payments, ask for input on post-acute reforms
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 20, 2013
The battle against Medicare waste, fraud and abuse heated up on Capitol Hill this week. Lawmakers introduced a bill to make Medicare claims and payments publicly available and asked for provider input...
PharMerica settles whistleblower complaint for $31.5 million
By
John Hall
May 19, 2015
National pharmacy services provider PharMerica said it has entered into separate agreements with the government and revised its controlled substances dispensing policies following a whistleblower lawsuit...
3 years for home health owner who inflated hours and claimed to care for SNF residents and the dead in...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 30, 2018
A former home health company owner accused of defrauding Medicaid and the Internal Revenue Service out of more than $2 million was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison.
Life Care Centers of America denies massive Medicare fraud charges; judge criticizes feds in secret whistleblower...
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 05, 2012
A U.S. District Judge has called federal prosecutors’ years-long delay in announcing a Medicare fraud case involving one of the nation’s largest nursing home companies “absurd.”
More therapy increases the likelihood of SNF discharge: Ivy League study
By
Jan 15, 2016
Increasing the level of therapy for skilled nursing residents recovering from hip fractures may also increase their chances of being discharged, according to a new study.
Supreme Court whistleblower rulings a mixed blessing for providers
By
John Hall
May 28, 2015
A Supreme Court ruling in a whistleblower suit in Iraq could have far-reaching implications for healthcare providers, legal observers say.