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Firm Updates

January 15, 2010: The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General issued a special fraud alert to remind durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers that unsolicted telephone calls to Medicare beneficiaries are prohibited by federal law.  Click here to read more about this important special fraud alert.   

December 31, 2009: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued regulations with a proposed definition for "Meaningful Use" of electronic health record (EHR) and standards for the EHR incentive program. Click here for more information.

December 16, 2009: The U.S. House of Representatives voted to temporarily suspend for two months the 21 percent Medicare physician-payment cut in order for the Senate to vote on a permanent solution.  In November, the House passed H.R. 3961 which replaces the Medicare physician payment formula.

November 19, 2009: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Medicare physician reimbursement fix. The bill, H.R. 3961, blocks a 21.2 percent physician-payment cut required by a 1991 formula that had been designed to control costs. The formula would be revised on a long-term basis and would provide for two separate updates, one for evaluation, management and preventive services, and another for other services. There is speculation, however, whether the bill will be able to move in the Senate.

November 2009: Members from the Senate Judiciary Committee proposed the Health Care Fraud Enforcement Act of 2009.

October 30, 2009: The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

October 30, 2009: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) delayed the enforcement of the “Red Flags” Rule until June 1, 2010.

October 29, 2009: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published an Interim Final Rule to conform HIPAA’s enforcement regulations to the statutory provisions of the HITECH Act.

December 14, 2009: Amy Fehn presented "HIPAA: Case Notes and Documentation" at the Oakland County Private Practice Network & Support. 

November 17, 2009: Andrew Wachler presented "RAC and Medicare Audits" at a conference for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). 

October 2009: Andrew Wachler was listed as one of Dbusiness' Top Lawyers in Metro Detroit of 2010.

October 23, 2009: Andrew Wachler discussed "Current Legal Issues for Hospices" at the National Hospice Work Group's Quality Improvement Forum.

October 13, 2009: Andrew Wachler presented "RACs and Medicare Audits: Compliance Tips and Successful Appeal Strategies" at the National Association of Homecare & Hospice Conference.

October 11, 2009: Wachler & Associates attorney Amy Fehn was recently quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune on the topic of generation of Medicaid matching funds through provider assessments.