Recent Blog Posts
Medical False Claims Act Violations That Will Be Prosecuted: Medically Unnecessary Services
False Claims Act (FCA) violations can derail your medical practice. Filing false claims with Medicare or Medicaid can lead to massive civil fines, including up to three times the loss caused to the program on top of $11,000 per false claim filed. Each instance of an item or service being wrongly billed can be… Read More »
How Improper Medical Coding Can Hurt Your Practice
One of the easiest ways for a medical practice to find itself in hot water is through medical coding errors. While some wrong codes are deliberate attempts to squeeze extra money from private or public insurers, many coding errors are simply mistakes that can arise from overworked or under-trained staff members. Even if you… Read More »
Common Medical Coding Mistakes
Proper coding is extremely important in the operation of a medical practice. Improper coding leads to improper billing, which can lead to significant liability and even criminal charges for a healthcare practice. Billing practices need to be clearly established and administrative staff must be properly trained in order to avoid costly mistakes. Not all… Read More »
Ways Healthcare Organizations Can Prevent and Detect Healthcare Fraud
The healthcare industry is subject to myriad laws and regulations and is under the purview of an alphabet soup of regulators. One of the reasons for such heavy regulation is the prevalence of fraud across the industry. Healthcare practices looking to protect their practices and avoid instances of fraud must take affirmative steps to… Read More »
Types of Healthcare Crimes: What are they?
Healthcare providers are subject to myriad laws and regulations and are required to report to an alphabet soup of state and federal regulators. A number of crimes are prevalent in the healthcare industry, many of which concern some type of fraud. Below, we identify some of the more common types of healthcare criminal activity…. Read More »
Types of Hospice Fraud
If you work in the hospice care industry, it is important to understand what may be considered hospice fraud. Because hospice deals with especially vulnerable patients, regulators and prosecutors are particularly wary of activity that could be construed as taking advantage of patients. Continue reading to learn about a few categories of hospice fraud… Read More »
Medical Corporation in California: What Are the benefits?
Many physicians looking to build a new practice are concerned first and foremost with the practice itself–finding a location, an office space, a roster of patients, providing effective service, etc. The legal structure of the practice, however, can be just as integral to its success. Below, we discuss some of the advantages of forming… Read More »
Hospital Hiring and Firing – How to Not Get Sued
On top of local, state, and federal regulations controlling every aspect of a medical practice, hospitals must also remain vigilant with regard to employment law concerns. Like any other employer, hospitals that terminate employees must take care to avoid any whistleblower, retaliation, or discrimination claims, in addition to adhering to regulations that apply specifically… Read More »
Tips When Selling Your Medical Practice
Mergers and acquisitions are complex procedures at the best of times. As a healthcare professional, you are likely more focused on your practice and your patients than the legal minutiae. When you decide to sell your practice, you have to dive deep into the business and legal side of things, while still keeping in… Read More »
What is Sales and Use Tax? What California hospitals should know
California’s sales tax applies generally to the sale of any merchandise in the state. The use tax applies to the use, storage, or consumption of those same goods in the state, and is paid to the CA Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). Any retailer of tangible goods is subject to California’s sales… Read More »