
Doctors Warned About Telehealth Fraud

The Office of Inspector General and Department of Health and Human Services on July 20 warned practitioners to exercise caution when entering arrangements with purported telemedicine companies.
According to the fraud alert, dozens of investigations of fraud schemes have revealed that telemedicine companies are intentionally paying physicians and nonphysician practitioners kickbacks to generate orders for prescriptions for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, genetic testing, wound care items or prescription medications. This has resulted in submissions of fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs.
Telemedicine companies have been aggressively recruiting and rewarding practitioners to order or prescribe medically unnecessary items and services for individuals. The companies advise the practitioners that there is no need to contact the patient regarding the request and many times the practitioners are not given the opportunity to review the patient’s medical records. In many cases, the telemedicine company then sells the order or prescription generated to individuals or entities that then fraudulently bill for unnecessary items and services.
In cases examined by the OIG and DOJ, these practitioners and the telemedicine companies are held liable for the payment and in violation of the False Claims Act or other federal criminal laws.
The notice provides a list of “suspect characteristics” of telemedicine companies that are acting unlawfully, including only compensating the practitioner on the volume of items or services ordered.
The fraud notice encourages all practitioners to use heightened scrutiny and caution when entering arrangements with telehealth companies, but the alert is not intended to discourage legitimate telehealth arrangements.
Alexa can be reached at [email protected]
In The News
Health
Voting
Health
WASHINGTON — A hit in the early 1970s featured children in its final refrain singing, “no more pencils, no more... Read More
WASHINGTON — A hit in the early 1970s featured children in its final refrain singing, “no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.” If the song were updated this year, Alice Cooper might be tempted to have them throw in “no more remote... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — The polio virus has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — The polio virus has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the disease, which hadn’t been seen in the U.S. in a decade, is quietly spreading among unvaccinated people, health officials said Friday. The presence of the poliovirus... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed their flagship climate change and health care bill toward House passage Friday, placing President Joe Biden on... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed their flagship climate change and health care bill toward House passage Friday, placing President Joe Biden on the brink of a back-from-the-dead triumph on his leading domestic goals that could energize his party going into November’s elections. Democrats were poised to muscle the measure through the... Read More
ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping its recommendation that Americans quarantine... Read More
ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping its recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. Instead it is urging those who know they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 but not sick... Read More
WASHINGTON — The White House is rearranging its monkeypox response with a strategy for stretching the supply of vaccines and... Read More
WASHINGTON — The White House is rearranging its monkeypox response with a strategy for stretching the supply of vaccines and with new leadership on its task force. The new strategy announced Tuesday calls for two injections of the vaccine but at only one-fifth the normal potency... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed the roughly $740 billion tax, climate and health care package known as the Inflation Reduction... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed the roughly $740 billion tax, climate and health care package known as the Inflation Reduction Act on Aug. 7, by a vote of 51-50. The massive package includes provisions to reduce drug costs for patients and providers by letting Medicare negotiate... Read More