We spend a great deal of time on this blog recounting stories of physicians and other providers who have run afoul of the various federal and state abuse laws applicable to the practice of medicine.  However, in my travels in working with physicians and group practices, it is apparent that many physicians still lack a basic understanding of the complex legal and regulatory framework within which they practice every day.  Many physicians operate under the mistaken belief that their greatest area of legal exposure is professional (malpractice) liability.  But, unlike fraud and abuse exposure, most physicians carry significant insurance against catastrophic malpractice claims.  Too few physicians appreciate the fact that running afoul of Medicare billing and coding requirements or entering into an arrangement which is a violation of the federal stark or anti-kickback statutes could result in significant overpayments which must be refunded to the Medicare program or even worse, massive civil money penalties or false claims liability.
 

Following a recent study in which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) determined that residents were getting inadequate training on fraud and abuse laws, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently published a document entitled “A Roadmap for New Physicians Avoiding Medicare and Medicaid Fraud and Abuse”.  The document serves as a good primer on the various fraud and abuse laws which apply to medical practice under the Medicare program. Physicians are well-advised to not only review the document themselves but to have key office personnel including administrators, office managers and key billing personnel review the document as part of their regular compliance training.  Although this basic document cannot take the place of competent legal counsel, it will give physicians and their employees a fundamental understanding of the regulatory framework that applies to their daily practice and enough knowledge to know when to get health care legal counsel involved.