From the Chair

Congratulations

Guide to Terms

Ober|Kaler in Print

OIG Activity
OIG Approves Six Gainsharing Arrangements

OIG Advisory Opinions

OIG 2005 Work Plan

CMS Developments
CMS Proposes Plan to Pay Unpaid Costs of Emergency Health Care

Trailblazer Fraud Alert Reveals Provider Identity Theft

Long Term Care
Discerning the New Pressure Ulcer Guidelines

Pharma
TAP Pharmaceuticals Settles with Lupron Consumers

Hospitals
Pay for Performance: Will Your Hospital Be Ready?

Nonphysician Practitioners
"Incident To" Rule Changes

Compliance
OIG Finalizes Supplemental Hospital Compliance Guidance

OIG's Supplemental Hospital CPG Looks at Hospital-based Physicians

OIG/AHLA Release Second Compliance Resource

Reimbursement
IRF "75 Percent Rule" Blocked

Correct Minor Errors and Omissions Without Appeals

Self-referral
Hospitals Meet "Under-development"

FCA
Courts Apply Strict Interpretation of Officer or Employee Under FCA

Lack of Pharmaceutical Recycling Guidance Precludes FCA Liability

Questionable Incentive Program Raises FCA Liability

Enforcement
Supreme Court Declares Sentencing Guidelines "Advisory"

Tax
IRS Penalizes Health System for PAC/Payroll Deduction Plan

Antitrust
DOJ/FTC Report on Antitrust in Health Care

Physican Focus
Physician Retention Arrangements: Stark and Antikickback Issues

Employment
Alien Certification Exemption to Avert Staffing Crisis

Congratulations

Congratulations to Bill Mathias, who became a principal of the firm in January. Bill's national health law practice focuses on fraud and abuse, corporate compliance, reimbursement, and HIPAA privacy matters. He advises clients on compliance with the federal antikickback and Stark laws, and on civil monetary penalty provisions. Bill also assists clients in conducting internal investigations and defending against government investigations.

Bill's reputation brought him to the attention of Nightingale's Healthcare News, which selected him as one of 12 "Outstanding Young Healthcare Lawyers" from a pool of national health care attorneys. Bill is an active member of the American Health Lawyers Association and Equal Justice Council. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1996) and Amherst College (B.A., cum laude, 1990).

Copyright© 2005, Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver