by Jason B. Caron, O. Benton Curtis III, Anjali N.C. Downs, and Jennifer K. Goodwin
Almost two years after the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a proposed rule regarding overpayments to providers and suppliers, as provided for under Section 6402(a) of the ACA. To date, regulators, courts, clients, and members of the bar have interpreted the requirements of Section 6402(a) in various ways. The proposed rule provides CMS's view on this matter, and, given that CMS is proposing a number of potentially onerous requirements with regard to investigating, reporting, and returning overpayments, stakeholders should consider submitting comments. This health reform alert provides an overview of CMS's proposed rule and its potentially burdensome implications.