Vernaglia Comments on Hospital Compliance and Audit Themes, Landscape for 2018
08 January 2018
Report on Medicare Compliance
Partner Larry Vernaglia was quoted in a Report on Medicare Compliance article, “Expect Steady Audits, Enforcement; Pay Squeeze, Fewer Rules Raise Ante for CCOs,” discussing how compliance officers are planning to handle their risk assessments this year.
Vernaglia explained that compliance officers may see variations this year on themes under the False Claims Act that allege Stark Law violations. He also explained the impact of the updated Medicare physician fee schedule regulation is mostly being felt in fewer “innocent inadvertent errors that result in Stark penalties or self-disclosures.”
Vernaglia later said that hospital compliance is “a tough environment. It’s why hospitals are affiliating with larger, safer hospitals. [However,] the FTC is pushing back on hospital mergers as more hospitals merge every year, so we get this interesting storm of fee-for-service reimbursement cuts, continued need to move to a value-based payment environment, and compliance challenges when they try to escape to form larger systems better able to weather this storm.”
Subscription required to read full article.
Vernaglia explained that compliance officers may see variations this year on themes under the False Claims Act that allege Stark Law violations. He also explained the impact of the updated Medicare physician fee schedule regulation is mostly being felt in fewer “innocent inadvertent errors that result in Stark penalties or self-disclosures.”
Vernaglia later said that hospital compliance is “a tough environment. It’s why hospitals are affiliating with larger, safer hospitals. [However,] the FTC is pushing back on hospital mergers as more hospitals merge every year, so we get this interesting storm of fee-for-service reimbursement cuts, continued need to move to a value-based payment environment, and compliance challenges when they try to escape to form larger systems better able to weather this storm.”
Subscription required to read full article.
People
Related News
06 February 2025
In the News
Vanessa Miller Assesses Panama Canal Discourse
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Vanessa Miller commented in SupplyChainBrain article, "The Fight for Control of the Panama Canal," lending important context to the recent headlines over the important waterway.
06 February 2025
In the News
Gregory Husisian Weighs in on Suspension of De Minimis Trade Exemption
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Gregory Husisian offered context on President Trump's recent trade actions on China in The Wall Street Journal article, "Why Trump Is Closing a Trade Exemption for China."
04 February 2025
In the News
Andrew Wronski on Tariff Fluidity – 'Keep on top of the issues'
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Andrew Wronski assessed the evolving shift in U.S. trade policy in the Milwaukee Business Journal article, "Trump tariffs won't disappear — so how should Wisconsin businesses prepare?"