Tag: Medicare Exclusion

Disciplinary Action, License suspension, Medical practice in Ohio, State Medical Board of Ohio, Uncategorized

Ohio physicians: Suspension of your medical license may be just the start of your troubles

The State Medical Board of Ohio has the authority to take a disciplinary action against a physician’s professional license ranging from a Public Reprimand, to suspension, probation, or revocation. In addition, as noted in a previous post, effective September 29, 2015, the Medical Board was granted the authority by the Ohio General Assembly to issue a monetary fine against physicians (or Physician Assistants) found to be in violation of the Medical Practice Act (R.C. 4730 &4731). (See January 11, 2017 blog post about monetary fines).

In addition to a Medical Board disciplinary action, physicians should also be aware that if they are subjected to discipline by the Medical Board, they may also face additional repercussions to their professional practice and livelihood including, but not limited to:

• Public Record: All final actions of the Medical Board constitute a public record. The general public will be able to review a summary of the disciplinary action and a copy of the Notice of Opportunity for Hearing, Consent Agreement, or Adjudication Order with Report and Recommendation at the e-license verification page located at: https://elicense.ohio.gov/OH_HomePage.
• NPDB: Disciplinary actions of the Medical Board are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). While the NPDB is not available to the general public, the following eligible entities have access to information on the NPDB: The Department of Health and Human Services, hospitals, health centers, health plans, medical malpractice payors, and state licensing boards. A health care organization can run a continuous query on practitioner reports. Therefore, as soon as you receive discipline from the Board, it is likely your employer will learn about it.
• DEA action: A physician’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license will be suspended during any period of medical licensure suspension. Criminal fines and/or imprisonment are available for any person who knowingly or intentionally (i) possesses a listed chemical with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance without proper registration; (ii) possesses or distributes a listed chemical with knowledge or a reasonable belief that the listed chemical will be used to manufacture a controlled substance; or (iii) evades the Controlled Substance Act’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements by receiving or distributing listed chemicals in small units. Violators of the aforementioned provisions may also be enjoined for up to ten years from handling listed chemicals. The physician must apply to have the DEA reinstated after his or her medical license is reinstated;
• Hospital Privileges: Hospital privileges could be suspended or revoked;
• Board certifications: Board certifications that the physician has may be limited, suspended, or revoked;
• Sister State Discipline: Other state medical boards in which the physician is licensed can institute disciplinary actions based on the Ohio matter;
• Medicare/Medicaid participation: A physician’s participation as a Medicaid/Medicare provider may be subject to revocation, thereby excluding them from obtaining reimbursement for services rendered to Medicare/Medicaid patients;
• Third Party Payors (Insurance Company participation): Participation as an approved provider for private insurer(s) could be terminated, thereby excluding the physician from obtaining reimbursement for services rendered to patients insured by such insurer(s); and
• Bureau of Worker’s Compensation: The BWC can revoke a physician’s certification in the Health Partnership Program—where they participate in a managed-care program for injured workers—if the provider has a misdemeanor committed in the course of practice, involving moral turpitude, or a conviction that is either a felony, cited under the Controlled Substances Act, or is an act involving dishonesty, fraud or misrepresentation. OAC 4123-6-02.2(B)(5).

While each case is different and each physician who is subjected to a disciplinary action by the Medical Board may not be subject to any or all of these additional actions, it is important to understand and appreciate that a Medical Board action may not be the end of the issues that a physician faces when subjected to a Medical Board disciplinary action.

As always, if you have any questions about this post or the State Medical Board of Ohio in general, please feel free to contact one of the attorneys at the Collis Law Group at (614) 486-3909 or email me: Beth@collislaw.com.

Medical practice in Ohio, Uncategorized

What is a Medicaid Exclusion and Is There a Way to Appeal These Decisions?

The Department of Health and Human Services has the authority to exclude certain individuals from participating in Medicare, Medicaid, and all Federal health care programs as defined by 1128B(f) of the Social Security Act.

Exclusion from participation can materially affect a professional’s scope of practice because exclusion prohibits the professional from submitting or causing claims to be submitted to any Federal health care program (such as Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE, the Military Direct Care System, etc.) for any items or services the professional provides and prevents the professional for working in any capacity for an organization that accepts Federal funding. (However, exclusion does not prevent the professional or their family members from receiving benefits to which they are entitled under a Federal program.)

There are two types of exclusion: Mandatory Exclusion is required for certain offenses (42 USC §1320a-7(a)) and Permissive Exclusion is discretionary and may be imposed for certain other offenses (42 USC §1320a-7(b)).

Generally, mandatory exclusion is required for a (i) conviction of health care program-related crimes, (ii) conviction related to patient abuse, (iii) felony conviction related to health care fraud, and (iv) felony conviction related to controlled substances.

Generally, permissive exclusion may be imposed for a number of different offenses including but not limited to (i) a misdemeanor conviction related to controlled substances, (ii) a health care license revocation or suspension, and (iii) excessive charges or unnecessary services.

In my practice, I have seen physicians and other licensed professionals (including nurses) receive a letter from the OIG proposing an exclusion from participation in Federal health care programs following a suspension of their professional license or after a misdemeanor or felony conviction or after being convicted of a drug crime.

In cases where exclusion is permissive, it is recommended to provide the OIG with a clear and detailed response as to why the exclusion should not be imposed.  Under certain circumstances, the OIG may choose not to impose exclusion.  In other instances, the OIG will impose exclusion for a specific time period, for example, during the time period that the professional’s license is suspended.

If you receive a notification from the OIG proposing an exclusion, experienced legal counsel can assist you to formulate and file a timely response.

As always, if you have any questions about this post, the State Medical Board of Ohio or the unintended consequences of a Medical Board disciplinary action, feel free to contact the attorneys at the Collis Law Group at 614-486-3909 or send me an email at beth@collislaw.com