An October 22 article in Part B News, “Welcome third round HHS relief funds, eased lending terms for accelerated payments,” discussed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Accelerated and Advance Payment Program (recently discussed here) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ CARES Act Provider Relief Program (recently discussed here). Rivkin Radler’s Eric

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights’ HIPAA Right of Access Initiative has claimed another victim. HHS announced on October 9 that NY Spine Medicine, a private neurology and pain management practice with offices in Manhattan and Miami Beach, agreed to pay a $100,000 penalty for failing to provide patients

An article in the November issue of Healthcare Risk Management, “$50 Million Stark Settlement Shows Risk of Violation, Whistleblowers,” discussed Wheeling Hospital’s $50 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that resolved a whistleblower complaint filed in 2017 by a former executive of the hospital. Rivkin Radler’s Jeff Kaiser was quoted in the

Mind Medicine, Inc. (MindMed) and NYU Langone Medical Center (NYU) recently announced a joint project to launch a clinical training program focused on psychedelic-assisted therapies and psychedelic-inspired medicines. MindMed, a psychedelic drug startup, is studying the use of hallucinogenic drugs in the treatment of mental health conditions. This venture is the first step in establishing a

On October 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new details on repayment terms for the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments Program, a loan program that sent aid to Medicare Part A providers and certain Part B suppliers to help the ease the financial burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CMS also

An October 9 article in Medical Economics, “Tips for buying the right malpractice coverage,” discussed factors physicians should consider when choosing a malpractice insurance policy. Rivkin Radler’s Chris Kutner was quoted in the article.

Chris suggested that physicians compare policies from both commercial carriers and risk retention groups, which are liability insurance companies owned by

On October 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Phamatech, Inc. and its CEO have agreed to pay $3,043,484 to settle alleged False Claims Act (FCA) allegations. San Diego-based Phamatech, a medical technology company that manufactures diagnostic devices and provides laboratory testing, allegedly submitted false claims to Medicare for drug-testing services.

In addition

Health insurer Anthem, Inc. has finally reached a settlement with a coalition of 41 states plus the District of Columbia, and a separate settlement with California, to resolve state attorney general investigations of a data breach that occurred in 2014. Anthem has agreed to pay the states a total monetary penalty of $48.2 million.

The

On September 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of its Digital Health Center of Excellence within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The FDA called this an important step toward its goal of advancing digital health technology, including mobile health (mHealth), health information technology, wearable devices, telehealth, and personalized

In the words of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians: “Since March, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been aggressive in policing online language about COVID—and with good reason! Fraudulent products and false claims abound.” In one such instance, discussed here, the U.S. Department of Justice charged a physician with