Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Under New Rule, Penalties For Health Care Fraud Would Likely Double
Modern Healthcare: Fraud, Anti-Kickback Penalties To Double
Fraud penalties for healthcare providers and others will soon likely double, according to an interim final rule published Thursday in the Federal Register. Penalties for each false claim submitted to a government program, such as Medicare, will rise to a minimum of $10,781 from a current minimum of $5,500 under the False Claims Act. (Schencker, 6/30)
CBS News: Need To Appeal Your Medicare Claim? Get In Line
An overwhelming number of Medicare providers and beneficiaries questioning their Medicare claims are waiting -- and waiting -- for a decision. The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report in June that details a massive increase in the number of Medicare appeals as well as wait times to get those appeals resolved. ... Also in June, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicare, responded to complaints about the backlog with several proposed changes including legislative reforms that would provide additional funding and new authorities to address the growing volume of appeals. In addition, a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee would make several changes to the system, including establishing a voluntary dispute-resolution process. (Konrad, 7/1)
Related KHN coverage: HHS Proposes To Streamline Medicare Appeals Process (Jaffe, 6/29)
