HHS Clarifies Policy on Hospitals Purchasing Coverage for Patients Through ACA Exchanges
Hospitals can help uninsured patients purchase private coverage through the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges without violating a federal anti-kickback statute, according to a clarification of policy guidance by HHS. In a letter to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), HHS said that qualified health plans sold through the exchanges do not meet the legal definition of a "federal health care program" under anti-fraud laws, which ban providers from engaging in financial ties to generate business paid for by Medicare or other federal health programs.
- "HHS Says Hospitals Can Help Uninsured Buy Coverage on Exchanges" (Carlson, Modern Healthcare, 11/1).