You’d better be worried about Stark and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). The recent changes to the regulations and the ever-increasing number of very high dollar provider settlements (in the tens and hundreds of millions), make it urgent that you ensure you’re compliant – right now.
Stark and AKS affects EVERY financial arrangement you have with every one of your referring physicians. And EVERYONE is at risk – from small physician practices to large hospital systems. Even unintentional violations can lead to significant penalties. Basically, if you violate Stark requirements by mistake, you can still be held liable. Add to this Stark’s technical group practice requirements, and avoiding a violation becomes even more of a challenge, unless you know what to look for.
So, how can you protect yourself? That’s where healthcare attorney, Heidi Kocher, BS, MBA, JD, CHC, can help. During This, 60-minute online training session, you’ll receive proven strategies to minimize your Stark and AKS liability exposure and penalties.
By completing Heidi’s plain-English, online training you’ll receive proven Stark and AKS compliance tactics you can implement to successfully protect yourself and your practice. After completing this step-by-step training, you’ll be able to more quickly identify Stark/AKS compliance risks, execute proven policies to avoid the most common mistakes, and establish ongoing monitoring and review processes to keep yourself protected.
Here are just a few of the Stark and AKS questions you’ll be able to answer after viewing this attorney-led 60-minute online training:
- Must my practice be owned by a physician to be affected by Stark and AKS regulations?
- How can I avoid Stark violations from leading to False Claims Act violation fines?
- How can I utilize AKS safe harbors to protect my practice from violations?
- What is CMS’s definition of remuneration?
- Do I have to intentionally violate Stark and/or AKS to be fined for a violation?
- Can utilizing a sales rep to market our services to other providers violate Stark?
- How often do I need to provide Stark and AKS training to our staff to comply?
- Can our intake office personnel receive a bonus based on new patients?
- Does the Federal Stark and AKS law trump my state law?
- As a physician owner, can I be held responsible for an arrangement implemented by our CEO?
- Is offering free medical care to staff at a practice we receive referrals from a violation?
- We exclusively recommend our patients utilize a specific home health agency, is this allowed?
- And so much more…
With more changes on the horizon, this training session will provide you with the tools you need to monitor and audit your existing arrangements to ensure you are compliant with Stark and AKS requirements, and avoid the massive penalties and violations they both can bring.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming you are compliant with Stark and Anti-Kickback regulations. With the new rule changes, and the draw of large monetary settlements driving lawsuits, you have too much at risk.
Heidi has 20 years of experience in health care legal and compliance related issues. Her experience includes positions at a large hospital corporation, serving as a compliance officer for a sleep lab/DME company and a compliance director, chief privacy officer and interim chief compliance officer at a medical device manufacturer.
In addition, she has represented and advised critical access and long-term care hospitals, physician groups, home health agencies, DME companies, pharmacies (including compounding pharmacies), non-profit organizations, and licensed individuals. As a result, she understands the complexities and challenges that providers large and small face in complying with increasingly varied and complex laws.
She is an expert in all aspects of compliance and privacy programs, including developing and deploying policies, procedures and training. Her experience includes implementing the various requirements and aspects of a Corporate Integrity Agreement, responding to and defending audits from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers up through the ALJ level, guiding clients through voluntary self-disclosures, seeking advisory opinions from the OIG, and defending FDA audits.
Heidi developed criteria for and implemented an aggregate spend system, permitting a medical device manufacturer to timely report correct information under the Physician Open Payments Acts (also known as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act).
In addition, she is experienced in developing and implementing a compliance program to address Foreign Corrupt Practices Act requirements, including Eucomed guidelines. She also has significant reimbursement experience, addressing coverage policy issues, challenging denials, recoupments, and loss of billing privileges, obtaining HCPCS codes, and other reimbursement related issues.
