For the past several years the Texas Department of Insurance-Division of Worker’s Compensation (TDI-DWC) has steadily increased the number of enforcement actions initiated against Designated Doctors serving the Texas worker’s compensation system. The results of such enforcement actions can range widely— from a requirement that the Designated Doctor (DD) complete additional training, the payment
Exclusion
The Texas Medical Board, Agreed Orders, and Insurance Provider Networks
By Louis Leichter on
Posted in Texas Medical Board
When a physician is involved in a disciplinary proceeding with the Texas Medical Board, Department of Public Safety, or other governmental entity that will likely result in some variety of Board order, it is critically important to carefully craft the final agreement so as to avoid trouble down the line. All provider networks have…
Medicare/Medicaid Exclusion Waivers: Sole Community Physicians
By Louis Leichter on
Posted in Medicare & Medicaid
Once the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General decides to exclude a physician or nurse from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, that health care professional’s career and employment options grow considerably narrower. For a physician in an institutional setting that accepts patients from these programs, this will…
The Need to Plea Carefully: Criminal Convictions and Medicare/Medicaid Exclusion
By Louis Leichter on
Posted in Medicare & Medicaid
A recurring scenario in my office goes like this: A physician contacts me about a letter they have received from the Office of the Inspector General stating that they are investigating whether or not the doctor has been involved in conduct that warrants exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Oftentimes this concerns the…
Surrendered Licenses & OIG Medicare Exclusions
By Louis Leichter on
Consider this scenario: You lose your medical (nursing, pharmacist, etc.) license to practice, so you move states in order to escape the ramifications of a surrendered or revoked license.
Unfortunately, the ramifications of your lost professional registration may follow you in the form of an exclusion. An individual subject to an exclusion is significantly limited in her ability to work in the health care profession nationwide. The purpose of the exclusion remedy is to protect beneficiaries of Federal health care programs from incompetent practitioners and from inappropriate or inadequate care. In the broadest sense, a section 1128 exclusion prevents individuals and entities from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and State health care programs. However, this does not affect your rights to participate as a beneficiary (i.e., if you break your arm and Medicaid normally pays, then you can still collect these benefits).
According to 1128(b)(4) of the Social Security Act, an individual may be excluded from participation in any Federal health care program if that person’s license was revoked, suspended, or otherwise lost, or because it was surrendered while a formal disciplinary proceeding was pending before an authority and the proceeding concerned the individual’s professional competence, professional performance, or financial integrity. The Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) will generally send you a letter informing you that you may be excluded from health care programs including:
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Veterans Administration
- TRICARE, etc.
The Social Security Act allows the OIG to exercise discretion when deciding whether or not to exclude individuals from participating in Federal health care programs. Even if the OIG decides to exclude you, they also have discretion to determine the length of the exclusion. Of course there are guidelines and considerations, such as:
- the nature of the act that gave rise to the exclusion;
- length of license suspension;
- criminal history, and;
- the availability of other sources of the type of health care services furnished by the individual.
Continue Reading Surrendered Licenses & OIG Medicare Exclusions