Health Care Enforcement and Compliance Matters Prevention, Compliance, Advocacy

Category Archives: False Claims Act

Subscribe to False Claims Act RSS Feed

End-of-Life-Care: Rife with Fraud or Quicksand for the Government?

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Enforcement, False Claims Act, Government Initiatives, Medicare

This is insight from Carolyn McNiven, a partner in DLA Piper’s Health Care Enforcement and Compliance Practice. The government’s intervention in a whistleblower’s federal False Claims Act case in Alabama(United States ex. Rel Dawn Richardson et al v. Golden Gate Ancillary LLC et al., 09 cv 627, ND Ala.) – which was recently made public … Continue Reading

HHS Redoubles its Data Prospecting Efforts

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in CMS, Enforcement, False Claims Act, Government Initiatives, ICD, Implantable Cardiac Devices, Medicare, OIG, Reform

In previous posts, I have mentioned the government’s “data prospecting” efforts, and highlighted the difference between “data mining” and “data prospecting.”  Mining is done when you already know where to dig.  Prospecting, which is what the government has been doing, involves finding out where to dig.  There’s a big difference, and the implications should not… Continue Reading

View the OIG HEAT Provider Compliance Training Webcast

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Administration, Enforcement, False Claims Act, Fraud, Government Initiatives, Medicaid, Medicare, OIG, Reform

OIG has posted a webcast of its HEAT Provider Compliance Training.  It is 3 hours, 45 minutes long.  I will post a summary in the near future.  There is also an OIG HEAT Provider Compliance Training Website at which you can download the corresponding slides and related materials. Get Instant Updates by Email

OIG’s HEAT Provider Compliance Training

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Administration, CMS, DOJ, Enforcement, False Claims Act, Fraud, Government Initiatives, Medicaid, Medicare, OIG, Stark Law

Since February 2011, members of the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) and their colleagues have been presenting HEAT Provider Compliance Training across the country.  The most recent training included a live webcast with slides.  The OIG has committed to posting a link to the webcast by the end of May.  In the meantime, the slides… Continue Reading

More About OIG’s Intensive Hospital Audits — Required Reading

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Administration, Enforcement, False Claims Act, Government Initiatives, Medicare, MSP, OIG

In a previous post, OIG Has New, Intensive Hospital Compliance Initiative, I described the 4- to 6-week onsite audits that the OIG’s Office of Audit Services has initiated at several hospitals across the country.  Several readers asked for more details, so here they are.  This is another example of required reading. . . . The… Continue Reading

Healthcare Compliance – What every Senior Leader Needs to Know in 2011

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Culture, Enforcement, Ethics, False Claims Act, Government Initiatives, News, Reform

On April 26, I will talk about Healthcare Compliance – What every Senior Leader Needs to Know in 2011 in a free webinar hosted by EthicsPoint.  Here’s a description: The healthcare industry is currently faced with mounting economic, political and regulatory pressures. State and local governments have increased their enforcement budgets in an effort to… Continue Reading

Interview of Tony West, Asst. Attorney General, Civil Division, DOJ

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Administration, DOJ, Enforcement, False Claims Act, FERA, Fraud, Government Initiatives, Implantable Cardiac Devices, Medicare, Reform

I recently interviewed Tony West, who is the Assistant U.S. Attorney General, Civil Division, of the Department of Justice.  The Civil Division is responsible for the government’s cases involving health care fraud and challenges to the health care reform law.  He is, of course, heavily involved in the DOJ’s HEAT initiative. The interview provides insight into current government… Continue Reading

New Healthcare Compliance App

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Enforcement, False Claims Act, Fraud, ICD, Implantable Cardiac Devices, Medicaid, Medicare, News, OIG, RACs, Reform, Settlements, Social Networking, Stark Law, Stimulus

If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can now access The Healthcare Compliance Blog, presentations, podcasts, Twitter feeds and other helpful information through my new App.  Search the App Store for “Compliance Law” or “Sheeder.” Here’s a link to the Apple iTunes listing:  http://tinyurl.com/sheederapp/ Kindly let me know what you think.  Thanks.

Quick Update on DOJ’s ICD Investigation

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in False Claims Act, Government Initiatives, ICD, Implantable Cardiac Devices, Medicare

Many hospitals across the country have received notice that they are subject to the Department of Justice’s national False Claims Act investigation relating to claims for Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators, or ICDs. Recently, the DOJ sent such hospitals Requests for Information containing what amounts to an interrogatory, coupled with a request for production of fairly extensive… Continue Reading

Senator Feels Providers’ Pain

By Frank Sheeder on Posted in Administration, Enforcement, False Claims Act, Government Initiatives, OIG, Reform

U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance, delivered remarks at the opening of today’s hearing “exploring current efforts to curb fraud and abuse within the federal health care system and ensure the transparency and accountability of taxpayer dollars.”  Senator Hatch made several statements indicating that he… Continue Reading