Eric and Wade welcome Jean Stone to the OIG Roundtable. Jean, a fixture in Medicare and healthcare fraud, having spent 46 years with CMS in the FWA space. Jean is a force when it comes to FWA and her current work with SMP is extremely valuable.

Eric and Wade discuss a recent OIG study where ambiguity and confusion in understanding polices and billing guidance led to millions in inaccurate payments. This is not novel, and ambiguity and confusion have been the mantra for a lifetime.

Eric, Wade and Matt discuss the importance, or disregard for various certifications in the healthcare fraud, waste and abuse space.  Whether it be a CFE, AHFI, CPC, CMPA or the alphabet soup of certifications and designations, plans and the industry look at these certifications very differently.

Eric and Matt talk about the $552 million genetic testing fraud case out of the West Coast.  It seems like we are just hitting the repeat button on cases.  Telemarketing, health fairs, door-to-door, all the usual playbook things for these frauds.  Telling people they need to get the DNA swab for genetic tests (which run upwards of $10,000 in some cases) is how you make a lot of money quickly.

Eric, Matt and Wade discuss a recent press release out of Eastern District of NY where a pharmacy owner paid kickbacks to referring doctors for medically unnecessary prescriptions and masked the payments as rental agreements or salaries for the prescribing doctor’s staff.  While these cases can be difficult to investigate from the SIU perspective, there are some key data points that can be relied upon to get the investigation moving forward.

Eric and Wade have a frank conversation about the different paths to obtaining a position in the federal government or working towards a role in an SIU.  We focus on internships, different paths for hiring, the benefits of military service and being patient and tenacious in your efforts.

Eric, Wade and Matt discuss a terrible case involving a podiatrist and a sales rep who conspired to have the sales rep perform medical services involving skin substitutes.  Wound care often involves the debridement of skin until it bleeds.  Unlicensed and potentially untrained individuals should not be performing these services.  In the case we discuss, that is exactly what transpired.  Is 63 months enough prison time?

Eric, Wade and Matt discuss a recent pharmacy fraud case.  The fraud went on for five years and resulted in the plea of the owner of the pharmacy, and an indictment of the Pharmacist in Charge (PIC), who turned out to be the brother of the owner.  Thanksgiving will definitely be unique.

Eric and Matt discuss a recent sentencing of a doctor who took greed to another level.  By altering certain CPAP devices, the provider sought to overcome identified issues that resulted in a recall of a particular CPAP.  The FDA recall highlighted that use of the particular CPAP could lead to respiratory issues and cancer.  The provider, however, ignored this, and sought to remove the offending parts and dispense them to his patients, all the while insurance paid the costs.

Eric, Wade and Matt discuss how identifying the next generation of investigators can start with finding the right interns and developing their skills to suit the organization.