In July 2015, CMS released proposals to provide several new Stark Law exceptions and to clarify issues regarding existing exceptions.  Over the next few days, I will post comment on what I consider the most significant new exceptions and clarifications.  The full text of these proposal and CMS comments and explanations is available at:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/07/15/2015-16875/medicare-program-revisions-to-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other-revisions…

In July 2015, CMS released proposals to provide several new Stark Law exceptions and to clarify issues regarding existing exceptions.  Over the next few days, I will post comments on what I consider the most significant new exceptions and clarifications.  The full text of these proposals and CMS comments and explanations are available at:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/07/15/2015-16875/medicare-program-revisions-to-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other-revisions…

By now, everyone knows ICD-10 coding starts October 1, 2015.

Starting October 1, 2015, Medicare claims with dates of service after October 1, 2015 will only be accepted if they contain a valid ICD-10 code. The Medicare claims system will be programmed not to accept ICT-9 codes after September 30, 2015.

However, Medicare announced in…

There are two interesting items in telehealth news.

Iowa Supreme Court Rejects Ban on Telemedicine Abortions

An Iowa Board of Medicine rule requires the presence of a physician when abortion inducing drugs are provided.  Planned Parenthood sued claiming the requirement of physician presence was unconstitutional on the basis that it discriminated against women, due to…

Medicare Regulations allows CRNA’s to administer anesthesia without physician supervision if the state governor opts out of the regular physician supervision requirement.

Governor Ritter of Colorado opted out in 2010, and his action was challenged by the Colorado Medical Society and the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists.  That challenge was dismissed by Colorado trial courts, which…

The Federal District Court of the Western District of Texas has ruled against the Texas Medical Board and granted TelaDoc’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction prohibiting the Texas Medical Board from enforcing new rules requiring either a face-to-face or an existing physician patient relationship in order to prescribe medication.

The Court rejected the Texas Medical…

On June 9, 2015, the OIG issued a Fraud Alert entitled “Fraud Alert: Physician Compensation Arrangements May Result in Significant Liability”.  This is just a one page letter warning hospitals and physicians by stating the OIG recently reached settlements with 12 individual physicians who entered into questionable medical directorship and office staff arrangements;…

Cooper v. Pottstown Hospital is another case where a dissatisfied party is attempting to use the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or the Stark Law in litigation arising out of the contracts to which they were willing parties at one time.  Usually, breaching parties have used this argument as a defense, claiming that the contracts were illegal,…

House Bill 706 has been introduced in the Pennsylvania House.  This is a “parity” bill which does the following:

It defines telehealth in such as way as to neither mandate nor prohibit asynchronous or synchronous telehealth technology.  It simply defines telehealth as the remote interaction of the healthcare provider with a patient through the use…

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