Legal & Regulatory Issues

The New York Office of the Medicaid Inspector General has released its work plan for fiscal year 2009-10, which describes the agency's plan to combat Medicaid fraud.

Tampa-based WellCare Health Plans agreed to pay $80 million to settle allegations that it defrauded Florida's Medicaid program, according to a report in Forbes.

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it will delay enforcement of the new "Red Flags Rule" until Aug. 1 in order to give physicians, ASCs and hospitals, as well as other creditors and financial institutions, time to develop and implement…

West Penn Allegheny Health System has filed suit against its competitor, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and health insurer Highmark, alleging they conspired to drive competitors out of business, according to a report in the Star-Tribune.

The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee has approved a bill that would give an independent board control of the Interim Louisiana State University Public Hospital in New Orleans, according to a report by the Times-Picayune.

This article briefly describes three different methods of delivering anesthesia services. Then, it discusses a few legal issues related to anesthesia services. Finally, it provides several different observations related to trends in anesthesia services.

Officials in Nevada have decided to delay any changes in the formula that helps hospitals that care for a disproportionate share of uninsured or low-income patients for up to a year, according to a report in the Silicon Valley Mercury…

California Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) has introduced a bill that would end unregulated healthcare insurance rate increases, according to the San Francisco Gate.

Lahey Clinic Hospital, located in Burlington, Mass., has agreed to pay the U.S. government $843,897 to settle allegations that it improperly submitted Medicare claims from 2001-2005, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts.

Tom Pliura, MD, JD, an independent attorney specializing in healthcare issues for surgery centers and physician practices and founder of zCHART and the zCHART EMR, discusses the increase in physician fraud investigations and offers suggestions as to how physicians and…