Part B News | Editors' Blog

Just in time for the holidays: OIG increases allowed amount for patient gifts by 50%

by: Julia Kyles, CPC Dec 7, 2016

You know the drill - giving your patients gifts or other forms of inducement can influence their decisions to receive health care, which can in turn trigger civil money penalties against the provider who offered the goody. However there are a few safe harbors - for example, inducements to encourage patients to receive preventive services.

'It ain't me': OCR warns of phishing email masquerading as official OCR contact

by: Julia Kyles, CPC Nov 29, 2016

Employees at your organization may have received an email that appeared to be from the HHS Office for Civil Rights that invites them to click on a link for inclusion in the “HIPAA Privacy, and Breach Rules Audit Program.” However, there is no such thing (although it does sound a lot like the OCR's HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Audit Program) and the email isn’t from the OCR. It’s from a website that is marketing the services of a cybersecurity firm.

OIG Work Plan 2017 adds E/M, financial relationships to the watch list

by: Julia Kyles, CPC Nov 10, 2016

Providers who offer chronic or transitional care management services should take note of the latest work plan from the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). These services are two of the six new Work Plan targets that are likely to impact physicians and non-physician providers who bill Medicare Part B.

3 ortho practices pay big fines for reimported hyalganate claims

by: Laura Evans Oct 4, 2016

If your viscosupplement supplier is offering products at impossibly low prices, be wary. It could be a sign the supplier is illegally reimporting the medications. That means you may not seek reimbursement from a government payer (such as Medicare or Medicaid) for injecting them.

MAC: If it’s not a signature, don’t write it on Medicare claims

by: Roy Edroso Oct 3, 2016

It’s only one Medicare administrative contractor (MAC) at the moment, but expect others to join this prohibition against handwritten entries on claims.

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