legal representation for healthcare complex litigation

HHS OIG Release of New “General Compliance Program Guidance” Provides Valuable Insight on Prevention of Health Care Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

By Michelle E. Missigman, J.D.

On November 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), released 91 pages of “General Compliance Program Guidance” (GCPG) on its website. This is the first compliance program guidance the OIG has released since 2008. The GCPG provides general compliance guidance, tools, and references for use by federal health care program providers.

This new guidance brings together many resources and links, making it a valuable and easy-to-read tool to keep on hand for any professional working within the healthcare industry.

The GCPG covers the following topics:

I. Introduction

The GCPG provides a thorough introduction to the OIG’s history and commitment to preventing health care fraud an abuse. It provides a roadmap for how the OIG intends to modernize and improve its publicly available resources. The OIG’s goal is to continue producing these resources, deliver information to the public in a user-friendly […]

Walmart Increases Pay For Thousands of Pharmacists and Opticians

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 31, 2023, Walmart announced it is raising wages for 7,700 U.S. pharmacists and opticians in a nationwide plan to expand healthcare services. The retailer said about 3,700 pharmacists would get a bump in pay, bringing their total average pay to more than $140,000 annually. Additionally, more than 4,000 opticians will receive pay raises, with their average hourly pay rising to more than $22.50. The company also said it plans to start a program in which associates who work in its Vision Center could receive certification and licensing to move into higher-paying positions.

Currently, Walmart employs 16,000 pharmacists and 12,000 opticians overall.

Competitive Pay in a Competitive Market.

According to the […]

Walmart Announces Pay Raise For Thousands of Pharmacists and Opticians

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 31, 2023, Walmart announced it is raising wages for 7,700 U.S. pharmacists and opticians in a nationwide plan to expand healthcare services. The retailer said about 3,700 pharmacists would get a bump in pay, bringing their total average pay to more than $140,000 annually. Additionally, more than 4,000 opticians will receive pay raises, with their average hourly pay rising to more than $22.50. The company also said it plans to start a program in which associates who work in its Vision Center could receive certification and licensing to move into higher-paying positions.

Currently, Walmart employs 16,000 pharmacists and 12,000 opticians overall.

Competitive Pay in a Competitive Market.

According to the […]

DOJ Withdraws Outdated Antitrust Policy Statements For Healthcare Industry; “Safety Zones” Abolished

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On February 3, 2023, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) withdrew three “outdated” antitrust policy statements applicable to healthcare markets. These have been in effect and relied upon for decades by those in the healthcare industry. According to a statement it issued, the Division determined that withdrawing the three statements is the best course of action for promoting competition and transparency.

Over the past three decades since this guidance was first released, the healthcare landscape has changed significantly. As a result, the statements are overly permissive on specific subjects, such as information sharing, and no longer serve their intended purposes of providing encompassing guidance to the public on relevant healthcare competition issues in today’s environment.

The […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:32-04:00March 30, 2023|Categories: Health Facilities Law Blog|Tags: anti-trust legal counsel, complex business and health litigation defense attorney, complex health care litigation defense lawyer, complex healthcare litigation attorney, complex litigation defense lawyer, covenant-not-to-compete defense lawyer, defense and enforcement of restrictive covenants, defense to noncompetition agreements, employer enforcement of restrictive covenants defense attorney, Florida health law attorney, health contract litigation, health professional contracting, health professional employment contracts, healthcare business litigation, healthcare business transaction defense lawyer, healthcare contract attorney, healthcare contract defense lawyer, legal counsel for defeat of noncompetition agreement, legal representation for healthcare complex litigation, legal representation for noncompetition agreements, negotiating health business transactions, noncompetition agreement litigation attorney, physician employment agreement defense, physician employment contract litigation, representation for anti-trust litigation, representation for physician agreements, restrictive covenant defense attorney, reviews of The Health Law Firm, The Health Law Firm reviews|Comments Off