DOJ’s Enforcement Activity Against Individuals: Acute Focus on Telemedicine

Posted In Telehealth

DOJ’s focus on individual accountability is particularly important with respect to telemedicine. Telemedicine is a burgeoning field, with a projected market increase of 18 percent annually over the next six years, reaching $103 billion in 2024. In light of this recent surge in profitability, DOJ has begun paying extra attention to telemedicine, with at least one recent HHS-OIG report asserting that more than one-third of all telemedicine claims are improper.

The report’s claim is further supported by a recent increase in telemedicine prosecutions. In April 2019, DOJ announced charges against 24 defendants, including owners of various telemedicine companies, for their alleged involvement in a health care fraud scheme resulting in $1.2 billion in loss. This scheme involved the payment of kickbacks and bribes by durable medical equipment (DME) companies to medical professionals working with telemedicine companies, in exchange for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries. DOJ alleges that the defendants paid doctors to prescribe medically unnecessary DME without ever seeing patients or after only a brief telephone conversation. The prosecution involves charges in at least seven districts across the United States, including New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and California. Additionally, DOJ prosecuted several other individuals in connection with unrelated telemedicine schemes in late 2018 (see the agency’s press releases here, here and here). In light of this recent trend, companies should exercise extreme caution and consult with regulatory experts prior to opening telemedicine practices. Companies can expect to see increased scrutiny and further prosecution of telemedicine companies moving forward.

Practice Note: DOJ has recently re-emphasized its willingness to exercise significant discretion and reward companies that invest in strong compliance programs. Looking forward, health care companies should maintain detailed and up-to-date documentation of all compliance programs, in case such an FCA case should arise. A lawyer should be consulted if an updated compliance program is needed.

This blog post was originally published in McDermott’s Health Care Enforcement Quarterly Roundup | Q1 2019. Click here to view the full report. 

Amandeep S. Sidhu
Amandeep (Aman) S. Sidhu focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on regulated industries, including health care-related investigations and litigation. He represents hospitals and health care companies in investigations and defense of qui tam whistleblower litigation involving federal False Claims Act (FCA), Stark Laws and Anti-Kickback Statute in federal district courts throughout the United States. Aman regularly supports settlement negotiations with the US Department of Justice for clients in multiple jurisdictions, including negotiation of corporate integrity agreements with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Aman also represents health care and life sciences companies in the navigation of state and federal investigations, including responding to congressional inquiries. Aman serves on the Firm's Diversity/Inclusion Committee, Pro Bono and Community Service Committee and Associate Development Committee. Read Amandeep Sidhu's full bio.


James A. Cannatti III
James A. Cannatti III* practices at the intersection of today's most pertinent health care issues, including digital health, health IT policy, and fraud and abuse, including Anti-Kickback Statute/Stark Law matters. With more than 10 years of experience in the US Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), most recently as Senior Counselor for Health Information Technology, James is well-attuned to the regulatory issues impacting the rapidly evolving digital health landscape. Read James A. Cannatti III's full bio.  *Not admitted to practice in the District of Columbia; admitted only in Ohio. Supervised by principals of the Firm who are members of the District of Columbia Bar.


Theodore Alexander
Theodore (Ted) Alexander focuses his practice on general litigation matters. He has experience in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and white-collar cases. Ted also advises clients on federal health policy. Read Theodore Alexander's full bio. 

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