On May 13, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously affirmed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, holding that the False Claims Act’s (“FCA”) limitations period in 31 U.S.C.(b)(2) applies to “relator-initiated actions” in which the Government declines to intervene and that a relator in a nonintervened suit is not “the … Continue reading
On May 7, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) released an update to its previous 2017 guidance (“Updated Guidance”) outlining when the government will award cooperation credit to defendants in False Claims Act (“FCA”) investigations. Under the Updated Guidance, set forth at Justice Manual Section 4-4.112, defendants can earn cooperation credit in FCA cases in three … Continue reading
In an Advisory Opinion posted on June 4, 2015, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services advised that a proposed arrangement involving financial assistance to individuals with chronic diseases would not constitute grounds for sanctions under either the provisions prohibiting inducements to beneficiaries or the Anti-Kickback statute. Advisory Opinion … Continue reading
The Texas Medical Board recently voted to place strict limits on the use of telemedicine in the state. The Board’s decision runs counter to a growing trend toward loosening restrictions on telemedicine services. Under existing Texas medical practice rules, a physician must establish a doctor-patient relationship before providing treatment to a patient. The new rules … Continue reading