AHLA's Health Lawyers Weekly

Here's the table of contents for this week's Health Lawyers Weekly from the AHLA, a great member benefit that pulls together a lot good information from disparate sources:

• Top Stories
  • OIG Finds $1.1 Billion In Improper Payments For Medicare Consultations 
    Medicare paid approximately $1.1 billion more than it should have in 2001 for services billed as consultations, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in a new report, “Consultations In Medicare: Coding And Reimbursement” OEI-09-02-00030.
    At least 75% of services billed as consultations and paid by Medicare during 2001 did not meet program requirements, OIG said.
  • OIG Says DME Manufacturer’s Proposed Programs With Physicians Raise Significant Anti-Kickback Concerns 
    A durable medical equipment (DME) manufacturer’s proposal to offer physician practices two programs that would involve furnishing DME and orthotics to their patients poses a significant risk of fraud and abuse and could trigger administration sanctions under the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in Advisory Opinion No. 06-02 posted March 28.
• Articles & Analyses
  • New International Health Regulations Will Affect Global Companies And Governments
    By Linda Horton and Eleftheria Nearchou, Hogan & Hartson LLP
  • Feds Remain Aggressive in Enforcement—Don't Be Their Next Target
    By Sara Kay Wheeler and Ken Schwartz, Powell Goldstein LLP
• Current Topics
  • Antitrust
    • FTC Issues Final Consent Order For Texas IPA Charged With Price Fixing 
    • FTC Proposes To Study Competitive Impact Of Authorized Generics 
    • Multi-State Settlement Reached With GlaxoSmithKline Regarding Anticompetitive Conduct In Distribution Of Paxil To State Purchasers 
    • FTC Staff Concludes That Hospitals’ Plan For Collective Bargaining With Insurers Over Physicians’ Fees Likely Would Violate Federal Antitrust Laws 
  • EMTALA
    • U.S. Court In Florida Refuses To Allow EMTALA Claim Against Hospital After Subsequent Criminal Act Of Plaintiff When Hospital Provided Appropriate Care 
      Food and Drug Law
    • D.C. Circuit Finds FDA Patent Decision Arbitrary And Capricious 
  • Fraud and Abuse
    • OIG Says Sanctions Possible For Home Health Agency Proposing Free Home Safety Assessments 
    • U.S. Court In Kansas Declines To Dismiss Whistleblower’s Retaliatory Discharge Claim Against Employer 
    • Update 
  • Healthcare Spending
    • House Budget Panel Passes FY 2007 Budget Resolution 
  • Hospitals and Health Systems
    • Florida Appeals Court Holds Hospital No Longer Subject To Public Records Law After Sale To Private Entity 
    • Florida Appeals Court Finds Genuine Issue Regarding Apparent Agency Of Independent Contractor Anesthesiologists 
    • Senators Question DHHS Further On Enforcement Of Specialty Hospital Moratorium 
    • Federal Circuit Upholds Removal Of Nurse For Patient Abuse 
    • Study Says Baby Boomers Will Not Be Primary Driver Of Spike In Hospital Demand 
  • Medicaid
    • OIG, CMS Officials Discuss Focus On Curbing Medicaid Fraud Before Senate Panel 
  • Medicare
    • Report Finds Most Medicare Drug Plans Restrict Access To Some Formulary Drugs 
    • U.S. Court In Maryland Upholds Finding Of Overpayment For Wheelchairs 
    • CMS Agrees To Extend Transition Period For Certain Pennsylvania Dual Eligibles 
    • GAO Concludes CMS Methodology Adequate For Estimating Medicare Payment Errors 
    • CMS Issues Final 2007 Formulary Guidance 
  • News in Brief
    • OIG Releases 2005 Red Book 
    • JCAHO Launches New Website 

© American Health Lawyers Association.  Reprinted by permission.

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