Month: September 2024

CVS’ Oak Street Health pays $60M to settle kickback allegations

CVS’ Oak Street Health pays $60M to settle kickback allegations

September 18, 2024

Katherine Davis

Chicago-based healthcare firm Oak Street Health has agreed to pay $60 million to resolve allegations from the U.S. Department of Justice that it paid kickbacks to third-party insurance agents in exchange for recruiting seniors to Oak Street’s primary care clinics.

The DOJ alleged in a statement today that Oak Street’s Client Awareness Program, designed to grow patient membership, had third-party insurance agents contacting seniors eligible for or enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, seeking to recruit them to Oak Street locations.

Specter of strict DEA prescribing rule rattles telehealth sector

Specter of strict DEA prescribing rule rattles telehealth sector

September 04, 2024

Bridget Early   
Gabriel Perna 

Telehealth industry and mental health groups are scrambling amid fears the Drug Enforcement Administration is poised to place strict limits on remote prescribing of controlled substances such as Adderall and Vicodin.

The legal authority for clinicians to prescribe DEA-regulated medications through platforms such as Talkiatry expires in less than four months, and the law enforcement agency has moved slowly to issue a final rule after the draft version released last year triggered protests from providers and telehealth companies.