Our colleague Lauren Petrin of Epstein Becker Green has a new post on Health Law Advisor that will be of interest to our readers: "DOJ's Recent Telehealth Enforcement Action Highlights Increased Abuse of COVID-19 Waivers."
The following is an excerpt:
On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced a coordinated law enforcement action against 14 telehealth executives, physicians, marketers, and healthcare business owners for their alleged fraudulent COVID-19 related Medicare claims resulting in over $143 million in false billing.[1] This coordinated effort highlights the increased scrutiny telehealth providers are facing as rapid expansion efforts due to COVID-19 shape industry standards.
Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOJ has prioritized identifying and prosecuting COVID-19 related fraudulent conduct, particularly in regards to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act[2] financial assistance programs. However, before this latest health care fraud takedown, the DOJ announced relatively little enforcement activity specific to federal healthcare programs. This renewed enforcement action may spark an increased effort by the DOJ to manage pandemic-related fraud as it relates to healthcare programs.
Click here to read the full post and more on Health Law Advisor.