Bad news at Acadia Healthcare (Nasdaq: ACHC) has translated into a real financial impact. The behavioral health behemoth experienced lower patient volume growth than expected in October, which company leadership attributed to bad press in its Q3 earnings call. Acadia expects the negative impact to be temporary, according to Heather Dixon, Acadia’s chief financial officer. […]
Category: Regulation
A Florida federal court ruling issued last month could lead to a “massive sea change” in what lawsuits can be brought against behavioral health companies. That is the interpretation of Gregory Jones, a principal at the law firm Polsinelli’s Los Angeles office, who represents health care companies, including in False Claims Act (FCA) cases. FCA […]
Companies that treat opioid use disorder could commend themselves last month when the federal government reported overdose deaths were down nearly 11% for the first eight months of 2024, marking the second-straight year of decline. “It’s fantastic news,” Jason Kletter, president of BayMark Health Services, told Addiction Treatment Business. “It’s something to celebrate.” But the […]
One of California’s largest opioid treatment providers (OTP) is taking advantage of a landmark change in federal rules. Pinnacle Treatment Centers announced Monday that they will begin prescribing opioid use disorder (OUD) patients methadone via audio-visual telehealth sessions in the state of California. “Expanding access to methadone by allowing patients to initiate treatment via telehealth […]
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will extend its telehealth flexibilities past the end of the year. Health care providers that have linked telehealth and controlled substance prescribing have been staring down a regulatory cliff following inaction by Congress on the issue. Twice already, the DEA has extended COVID-era regulation that provided wide flexibility when it […]
Youth behavioral health residential treatment facilities could face more scrutiny following additional public pressure by a powerful federal lawmaker. On Wednesday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) publicly called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate four major behavioral health providers to determine if their youth residential treatment programs committed Medicaid fraud. […]
Behavioral health care giant Acadia Healthcare (Nasdaq: ACHC) will pay $19.85 million to the U.S. and several states’ governments to resolve allegations that it knowingly billed for medically unnecessary behavioral health services and endangered patients. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Acadia falsely billed Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE for inpatient behavioral health services […]
New research shows that the number of prescriptions written for stimulants and antidepressants is on the rise. Prescriptions for stimulants increased by 37.5% from 2019 to 2022, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The number of antidepressant prescriptions also increased, jumping up by 21%. An increased share of stimulant and antidepressant […]
Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) are the door to evidence-based medication for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Current regulations may not be strong enough to keep these facilities in compliance with requirements that prevent overpayment for services and ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment. An audit conducted by the Department of Health and […]
Multiple autism therapy centers have been connected to a $250 million federal fraud case. A federal child nutrition program enacted by the state of Minnesota was found to have been abused in 2022, with more than $240 million in federal child nutrition program funds being stolen for personal gain. New reporting by the Minnesota Reformer […]
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