OIG Opinion Lets Med Center Pay Some Transport & Short-Term Lodging Costs For Pregnant Medicaid Patients Near Delivery

The Department of Health & Human Services has issued an opinion approving an academic medicine center’s proposed arrangement under which the facility would pay for certain transportation costs to and from the hospital and costs for short-term lodging near the facility prior to delivery.  See  http://ow.ly/YXcc9.  While the opinion provides helpful insights for other facilities interested in offering similar arrangements without violating the Medicare Statute, health care organizations are cautioned that the OIG opinion only provides protection for the specific academic medical center to which it was issued, and then only to the extent that all requirements and assumptions of the opinion are met.  Other organizations interested in adopting a similar practice should consult with qualified legal counsel about pursuing an OIG opinion approving their specific proposed arrangement.