AHA, others urge DOJ to match CMS and OIG relief from certain fraud and abuse sanctions

The AHA, along with five other health organizations, today urged Attorney General Bill Barr to join with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and its Office of the Inspector General in providing “relief from the technical requirements of the Federal fraud and abuse laws and the unnecessary risk they pose to hospitals during a declared public health crisis.”

CMS and IOG-HHS last month followed an AHA request, by announcing certain waivers and that they would forgo sanctions under the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute to enable hospitals and health systems to efficiently meet the demands of the public health emergency. Today’s letter to Barr reinforces AHA’s previous request.