Anesthesia Business Consultants mum over federal investigation involving ‘health care fraud’
Anesthesia Business Consultants spokespeople are mum over an ongoing investigation into allegations of health care fraud a day after federal agents searched the downtown Jackson business.
Agents executed a federal search warrant at the business, officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General confirmed Wednesday morning, July 15.
Anesthesia Business Consultants officials would not comment on the investigation Thursday morning, July 16. Media representatives are not allowed in the building, 255 W. Michigan Ave., officials said.
A news release from Anesthesia Business Consultants released about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday said representatives “are cooperating in the collection of the requested information and expect that our full staff in Jackson will resume business as usual.”
“There will be no disruption of service to clients,” the release read.
Federal agents are looking into “allegations of health care fraud, included but not limited to the Medicare program, the Medicaid program and some private insurance companies,” Joseph Napolitano, assistant special agent in charge, said Wednesday.
About 20 agents and 10 forensic specialists imaged computers and seized miscellaneous paper documents. The health care business closed its doors and sent a handful of employees home after the federal agents arrived about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
“It’s just an allegation at this point,” he said. “We’ll review the evidence and move on from there.”
Anesthesia Business Consultants employs roughly 300 people in its downtown Jackson offices. The company processes medical billing records before claims are sent to Medicare and Medicaid.
Will Forgrave covers city and county government for the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Contact him at wforgrav@mlive.com or 517-262-7554. Follow him on Twitter at @WillForgrave.
CMS proposes new joint replacement bundled payment program
CMS proposed a new bundled payment program for joint replacement surgeries on July 9 and most hospitals will be required to participate. As important members of joint replacement surgery teams, anesthesiologists are affected by this proposed program as well, according to an Anesthesia Business Consultants blog post.
6 things anesthesiologists need to know:
- The proposed rule for the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program requires nearly all affected hospitals to be financially responsible for the care of patients for 90 days after discharge.
- Physicians are not subject to the rule, but the success of the program will depend on their participation.
- Additionally, hospitals may share CCJR savings or penalties with physicians by agreement.
- Participating hospitals would be eligible for bonus payments in 2017 for performance in 2016. They would also see decreased payments; however this will only begin in the following cycle.
- Hospitals would also be expected to meet certain quality measures, including “Hospital-Level 30-day, All-Cause Risk-Standardized Readmission Rate Following Elective Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty and/or Total Knee Arthroplasty.”
- CMS will consider public comments received on the proposed rule through Sept. 8
