Background
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S.
Department of Treasury sounded the alarms recently with its
advisory (FIN-2021-A001) urging financial institutions
to remain vigilant and, as necessary, allocate enhanced compliance
resources to deter and detect COVID-19-related schemes connected to
healthcare entities, health insurance, health benefit programs, and
pandemic relief funds.
Since the public health emergency declaration of January 31,
2020, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. law
enforcement and regulatory agencies have identified numerous
instances of fraud involving the exploitation by individuals and
companies of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other healthcare
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On March 1, 2021, the City Council of Pomona, California, passed an ordinance that establishes premium
pay for retail food workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pomona is
an incorporated city located in Los Angeles County and is not
subject to the county s hero pay ordinance. The new Pomona
ordinance requires large retail establishments to provide their
workers with premium pay of $4.00 for each hour worked. The city
also published a Hero Pay Ordinance Fact Sheet. The
ordinance took effect immediately and will remain in effect at
A. Congress
1. Republican leaders
urged their House Democrat counterparts to hold a joint hearing
regarding the undercounting of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing
homes. The letter was signed by Energy and Commerce Ranking Member
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Energy and Commerce
Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Brett Guthrie (R-KY),
Republican Whip and Select
Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Ranking
Member Steve Scalise (R-LA), Ways and Means
Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ways and Means Health
Subcommittee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA), Rep. Tom Reed
(R-NY), and Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member James
Comer (R-KY).
2. On March 10, the House Small Business Committee held a
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In 2020, Americans locked down and logged on to stay
connected to their providers. Thanks to a recent report by FAIR Health, the significance of these
connections is now more clear. The report found that private payor
telehealth claims rose nearly 3000% in 2020. This dramatic increase
followed the significant relaxation of telehealth requirements for billing
promulgated in many states in response to the COVID-19
pandemic.
Mental health dominated the reported claims, accounting for just
over 47% of all telehealth diagnoses, a diagnosis that did not even
break into the top five in 2019. The report also found that the use