In the Care Alternatives False Claims Act (FCA) appeal, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on March 4 reversed the summary judgment granted to hospice provider Care Alternatives at the district court, disagreeing with AseraCare precedent out of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and holding that clinical disagreement alone may comprise legal falsity and is sufficient to create a triable issue of fact for the jury.

In an action especially significant to hospice providers but also other healthcare providers regarding the determinations of medical necessity for Medicare billing purposes, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and AseraCare have just agreed, following a mediation, to settle for $1 million the long-running False Claims Act qui tam litigation matter in which the United States had previously sought $200 million in liability.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which advises Congress on Medicare issues, recently finalized and approved a series of recommended updates on January 16 that include payment reductions for hospice and home health.

In a recent analysis for Today’s General Counsel, healthcare industry partner Katie McDermott analyzes the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s decision in United States v. AseraCare, Inc. and offers key takeaways for False Claims Act (FCA) practitioners from “this reasoned and scholarly opinion.”

Continuing to look for ways to reduce the Medicare administrative law judge (ALJ) appeals backlog, CMS has explored enhancing the role of Qualified Independent Contractors (QICs) to resolve disputed claims earlier in the appeals process. Its main pilot in this area is the Telephone and Reopening Process Demonstration (Demonstration), which affords certain providers the ability to present their case to a representative of the QIC and have a live discussion about the merits of the appeal.

The US House of Representatives unanimously voted to approve HR 647, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), on October 28.

The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has issued its much awaited decision in United States v. Aseracare, and for those who question how mere differences clinical opinion can ever support punitive False Claims Act (FCA) liability, it is especially informative.

Two OIG inspection reports detailing the results of onsite hospice surveys during a five-year period ending three years ago in 2016 build on the body of hospice industry evaluations conducted by the OIG, garnering significant negative press attention.

CMS is expanding a national pilot program (the Value-Based Insurance Design Model, or VBID) that will allow Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for the first time to include hospice (end of life) coverage in plan designs.