Attached is a PDF issued by CMS regarding blanket waivers of the Stark Law in order to allow physicians and hospitals to adjust 18 different potential financial relationships in order to deal with the COVID-19 emergency. The waivers were issued on March 30, 2020, with a retroactive effective date of March 1, 2020. They will
OCR Relaxes HIPAA Rules for COVID-19 Disclosures
Although many believe the HIPAA rules already allow for disclosure of COVID-19 cases on the basis of a public emergency, OCR just issued Guidance, attached in the link below, confirming disclosure is permitted when needed to provide treatment, with the notification is required by law and in order to prevent or control the spread of
COVID-19 and Physician WRVU Productivity
A vast majority of current physician employment contracts, both with larger systems and in individual practice, have some sort of productivity component for compensation, dependent upon the production of:
- WRVUs (Work Relative Value Unit)
- Collections
- Net Profits
Even if there are no negotiated “resource” provisions, most contracts also have what was always thought to be
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Issue a Telemedicine Tool Kit
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS.gov) issued a Telemedicine Tool Kit. Use this link to access the Tool Kit.
COVID-19 Physician Private Practice Guidance
I. Introduction.
1. Clinical Guidance
2. Malpractice Liability
3. Reimbursement
4. Employer/Workers Compensation
5. Telehealth
II. Clinical Guidance.
Many
Workers’ Compensation Claims for Healthcare Professionals Exposed to COVID-19 in PA – Updated March 17, 2020
Just a few short weeks ago, the Center for Disease Control’s Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases warned that the spread of coronavirus in the U.S. was “not a question of if, but when.” As of this updated posting, the entire country is locked in an unprecedented grip of uncertainty and
Workers’ Compensation Claims for Healthcare Professionals Exposed to COVID-19 in Pennsylvania
Just a few short weeks ago, during a press briefing by the Center for Disease Control’s Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, the director warned that the spread of coronavirus in the U.S. was “not a question of if, but when.” As of the date of this posting, there are now
It Is Not Illegal to Pay Physicians More Than They Generate
While we are waiting for final disposition of the AKS Safe Harbors and Stark Exceptions proposed in October of 2019, since the comment period expired December 31, 2019 and final rules have not been issued, I thought we should reflect on the comments made and proposed regulations regarding physician compensation.
Physicians have become accustomed to
Telemedicine Comes of Age: OIG is Prosecuting Telehealth Fraud
You can now tell that telemedicine is a mature industry, because it has achieved enough critical mass that the fraud has started and the OIG is beginning to prosecute. There is a lag time between when the cash flow and profit achieves sufficient critical mass to attract the criminals, the OIG identifies the problems, and