Medicare Program; Final Waivers in Connection With the Shared Savings Program; Continuation of Effectiveness and Extension of Timeline for Publication of Final Rule

On October 17, 2014, the federal Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended waivers of federal rules on kickbacks and referrals to facilitate the activities of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The renewed waiver went into effect immediately, and will be in effect through November 2, 2015. The waivers permit physicians affiliated with an ACO to coordinate care and receive shared savings, both activities could violate the Medicare fraud statutes against self-referal and kickbacks. HHS and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are in the process of . . .