Providers could be in store for a new, bigger wave of False Claims Act lawsuits, warn authors of a new report.
The reasons? Recent successes producing large settlements in whistleblower lawsuits, as well as revisions to the Stark anti-kickback law, according to Bloomberg BNA’s 2016 fraud outlook released in early January.
Numerous long-term care providers, or contractors employed by them, have settled False Claims lawsuits in recent months.
A federal push toward prosecuting individuals for fraud, rather than their entire companies, could cause sparks this year, report authors noted.
Also highlighted is a new rule that says providers would be required to return government overpayments within 60 days of first noticing the payer’s mistake. That measure was expected to be released this month.
From the February 01, 2016 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
