Media Mentions
2011
“The Proposed Waivers of Fraud and Abuse Laws for ACOs”
BNA Health Care Fraud Report, May 4, 2011
Daniel Melvin, as author of this bylined article, assessed the provisions of the federal government’s proposed waivers of fraud and abuse laws, which would allow accountable care organizations to participate in Medicare’s Shared Savings Program. He wrote that the waivers do not address a number of significant fraud and abuse concerns, and spelled out additional waivers they believe are necessary if ACOs are to operate successfully in the Shared Savings program, and reduce waste and excess cost in the health care system.
2010
Daniel Melvin and Christopher Jedrey discussed in Healthcare Finance News (May 11) how the new health care reform law could impact consolidation in the provider sector. Mr. Melvin noted that “all of the costs and [provider] pay cuts” in the law "are going to change the rules of the game. Health reform is likely to mean the acceleration of consolidation." Mr. Jedrey stated that the law’s extension of coverage to millions more people means that "cost control will follow." This will spur consolidation, he said, because "the healthcare provider market is currently fragmented, causing duplications of overhead and services, creating more costly and sometimes sub-optimal care." Mr. Jedrey expects that physician groups and solo practices are less likely to be able to handle consolidation, to which Mr. Melvin added, "[W]e’re going to see clinical integration in healthcare, rather than full integration."
Christopher M. Jedrey, Daniel H. Melvin, Health, Life Sciences & Medical Products
Christopher Jedrey and Daniel Melvin both spoke to BNA’s Daily Health Care Report (April 15) about the impact that the health care reform law’s lower reimbursement rates will have on hospitals. Mr. Jedrey said that the law has provisions that can “soften the blow” for hospitals that perform well on quality measures, but smaller hospitals and academic medical centers may lose their market share of payments to lower cost providers. "Hospitals that don’t control the flow of ‘at risk’ funds into the provider system will become vendors to those that do," he stated. Mr. Melvin noted that increased costs and reimbursement costs "will change the rules of the game" for ancillary service providers, adding that this will put pressure on such providers to make "strategic decisions" on whether to consolidate or to form partnerships, joint ventures or otherwise join higher paid primary care hospitals.
Christopher M. Jedrey, Daniel H. Melvin, Health, Health - General Counsel
2008
Daniel Melvin was quoted in the December 22 issue of Report on Medicare Compliance in an article regarding the recent answer to a FAQ that CMS posted regarding the final Medicare physician fee schedule regulation that will change the dynamic of mobile diagnostic testing relationships. "The new rule for mobile operators should never have been construed to require portable testing equipment and technologist leading companies to enroll in Medicare as IDTFs, but CMS made published statements suggesting that this was their intent," Mr. Melvin said.
Daniel H. Melvin, Health, Health Ventures/Physician Transactions, Reimbursement/Fraud & Abuse
Daniel H. Melvin was quoted in the July 7 issue of Modern Healthcare in an article regarding CMS' newly proposed rules for gain-sharing and other pay-for-performance initiatives that could be a significant step toward loosening financial-arrangement restrictions that many believe prevent doctors and hospitals from aligning on quality-improvement and cost-savings efforts. "The OIG has never wavered from its opinion that gain-sharing violates the law, but in cases where hospitals have sought its opinion (about implementing gain-sharing) the OIG has said it wouldn't prosecute. But, I do think that hospitals will seek to develop programs now that a government agency is looking favorably on gain-sharing,'' Mr. Melvin said.
Daniel H. Melvin, Health, Reimbursement/Fraud & Abuse
2007
Daniel Melvin was mentioned in an October 1 article published in International Medical News Group and Clinical Psychiatry News regarding CMS issuing the third phase of the final regulations implementing the physician self-referral rule, also known as the Stark law, but reverting back to the original stance it had in phase one. "This reversion to the initial Stark policy is among the most important changes in the 516-page document. The application of exceptions will be different going forward," Mr. Melvin said.
2001
Daniel Melvin and Joan Polacheck were highlighted in Healthcare Financial Management (October 2001), "Stark II, Phase I: What Every Provider Needs to Know."
