Update to 2021 Annual Update of HCPCS Codes for Skilled Nursing Facility Consolidated Billing Enforcement Released

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a updated list of the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) subject to the Consolidated Billing (CB) provision of the…

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A Skilled Nursing Corporation Agrees to Pay $11.2 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations

A skilled nursing corporation (“corporation”) based in Georgia, which owns and operates skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) across the country, has agreed to pay $11.2 million, plus additional amounts if certain…

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GAO Study Finds that Most Nursing Homes had Multiple Outbreaks and Weeks of Sustained Transmission of COVID-19

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) analysis of the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of data from May 2020 through January 2021 shows that nursing…

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OIG Prioritizes Cybersecurity for HHS Agencies

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recognizes that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs to improve their cybersecurity posture and promote the security and privacy of…

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An OIG Study Finds that CMS Could Improve the Data it uses to Monitor Antipsychotic Drugs in Nursing Homes

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a follow-up study on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) monitors nursing home use of antipsychotic drugs to treat residents…

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HHS Announces that Prohibition on Sex Discrimination Includes Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

On May 10, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Office for Civil Rights will interpret and enforce Section 1557 and Title IX’s prohibitions on…

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National LTC Pharmacy Provider Dispensed Controlled Substances without a Valid Prescription

A national provider of pharmacy services to long-term care facilities has agreed to pay the United States $2.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated federal controlled substance dispensing laws….

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Healthcare Sector the Biggest Target of Ransomware with a Growing Amount of Triple Extortion Tactics

A report published by a software technology company shows that the number of organizations impacted by ransomware globally has more than doubled so far in 2021 compared with 2020. The…

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A California Assisted Living Facilities Operator Violated the Fair Labor Standards Act

The US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, has found that an operator of several assisted-living facilities in California violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer’s action…

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South Dakota Woman Convicted of Healthcare Fraud and Identity Theft

A South Dakota woman was convicted by a jury on charges of three counts of healthcare fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in the United States District Court…

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