Stark Integrity

Send us Fan Mail It’s an evolving industry. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade breaks down compensation learnings from the AAPCP (American Association of Provider Compensation Professionals) Annual Conference with Chris Fete, Partner at Pinnacle Healthcare Consulting (PHC). Hear why the growth and involvement of AAPCP is important for the industry, why the AAPCP credential is a good thing...

Send us Fan Mail How do you identify covert retaliation? In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade reveals 8 categories of covert retaliation as they relate to the Stark Law. Hear the 2 broad categories of retaliation, how the anti-retaliation provisions under the False Claims Act (FCA) are separate causes of action an individual can bring against entity and individuals, why covert retaliation i...

Send us Fan Mail Billions of dollars are spent on marketing in the healthcare sector each year. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade explains why such marketing can cause issues under the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). Hear why marketing between referral sources is not illegal, you need to look at the development and placement of the advertisement, Fair Market Value (FMV) is kin...

Send us Fan Mail Does the Stark Law have a de minimis compensation exception? In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade explores whether one exists. Hear what a de minimis compensation exception means, why the compensation must still be Fair Market Value (FMV) and Commercially Reasonable (CR), why you don’t need to have a written agreement after the fact, examples from the world of the Stark Law...

Send us Fan Mail Understanding a wRVU (work Relative Value Unit) might feel like searching for the Holy Grail. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade explains what a wRVU is. Hear why you need to understand what a wRVU is, why work effort is a component, how to avoid the pitfalls with wRVUs, some of the many acronyms in the healthcare industry, and a classic Monty Python story. Learn more at...

Send us Fan Mail The Volume or Value Restriction under the Stark Law is a conundrum. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade breaks down how to approach compensation under the Stark Law. Hear why aggregate compensation can vary, why you can use the same analysis under the safe harbors under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), why you should keep your compensation determination process separate, h...

Send us Fan Mail Telehealth is here to stay. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade continues his discussion on telehealth and its impact on the healthcare industry with Christine Hall, CEO and Senior Consultant at Stirling Global Solutions. Hear how to think through which encounters would benefit from telehealth, why consent is so important, why prevention is key, the guidance on coding and...

Send us Fan Mail Telehealth should be a service that is used to diagnose and treat a patient. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade talks telehealth and its impact on the healthcare industry with Christine Hall, CEO and Senior Consultant at Stirling Global Solutions. Hear how telehealth works, new legislation that affects telehealth, compliance risks associated with telehealth, how Christine...

Send us Fan Mail Make sure documentation related to physician financial arrangements helps you, not hurts you. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade shares how this documentation can work to your advantage. Hear why training is critical, why you should look at your documentation through the eyes of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Officer of Inspector General (OIG), or a qui tam relator, how...

Send us Fan Mail The DOJ (Department of Justice) collected $2.68 billion under the False Claims Act (FCA) in Fiscal Year 2023. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade recaps the latest interesting stats from FCA settlements. Hear why the FCA is still a very vital weapon for the government to pursue fraud, how healthcare made up 67% of the FCA settlements in Fiscal Year 2023, qui tam relators b...

Send us Fan Mail Fair Market Value (FMV) and Commercial Reasonableness (CR) are separate concepts, but overlap. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade talks all things FMV vs. CR. Hear why CR is not one of value, it has 2 components, where the overlaps exist, Bob’s pie analogy, and what factors to consider. Learn more at CaptainIntegrity.com

Send us Fan Mail Under the Stark Law, entities with medical staffs can pay for treatment and promotion of mental health. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade dives into the tough topics of substance abuse and addiction as they relate to the Stark Law. Hear why we’re all addicted to something, the new exception under the Stark Law, why the exception is a good thing, the 5 characteristics of...

Send us Fan Mail Commercial Reasonableness is like a pie. Fair Market Value (FMV) is like a slice of the pie. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade discusses the latest on FMV under the Stark Law with Tim Smith, Principal at TS Healthcare Consulting. Hear why you need to study the regs, start doing economic analysis, start developing in-house expertise in this area, what you need to say loud...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re able to meet in the middle, you can share the risk. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade covers employing hospital-based specialists with Joe Aguilar and Natalie Bell, Partners at HMS Valuation Partners. Hear why you need to do the math, you should consider sharing the risk, what happens once you take the leap, how to determine the stipend, and revenue cycle manag...

Send us Fan Mail Look at your policies and make sure they’re up to date. In this special episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade wraps up his discussion on insights from the Community Health Network $345MM settlement with Tim Smith, Principal at TS Healthcare Consulting, and Alex Krouse, Associate General Counsel - Provider Arrangements at Parkview Health. This is Part 3 of a 3-part episode, originall...

Send us Fan Mail You need to make sure you’re providing accurate information. In this special episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade continues his discussion on insights from the Community Health Network $345MM settlement with Tim Smith, Principal at TS Healthcare Consulting, and Alex Krouse, Associate General Counsel - Provider Arrangements at Parkview Health. This is Part 2 of a 3-part episode, ori...

Send us Fan Mail A complaint is just a complaint. In this special episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade discusses insights from the Community Health Network $345MM settlement with Tim Smith, Principal at TS Healthcare Consulting, and Alex Krouse, Associate General Counsel - Provider Arrangements at Parkview Health. This is Part 1 of a 3-part episode, originally recorded as a webinar for the American...

Send us Fan Mail If you have bad news to share, you share it yourself - and own it. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade discusses crisis communication management with Eileen Wixted, Principal at Wixted & Co. Hear why it’s all about how you respond, why it’s important to be truthful, how to build trust through communication, the different types of crises, and how to determine a communic...

Send us Fan Mail You’re more powerful than you think. In Part 2 of this special interview, Captain Integrity Bob Wade continues his discussion of one of the most infamous compliance stories in recent history with Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, Founder of Beyond the Screen, and Author of “The Power of One.” Hear how your life might change once you became a whistleblower, whether it’s w...

Send us Fan Mail Be ethical. In this special episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade breaks down one of the most infamous compliance stories in recent history with Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, Founder of Beyond the Screen, and Author of “The Power of One.” Hear her experiences and challenges being a whistleblower, how she lost her job but gained respect, what to do if you see something...

Send us Fan Mail Be careful what you put in writing. In this special episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade discusses the recent General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) issued by the OIG (Office of Inspector General) with Alex Krouse, Associate General Counsel - Provider Arrangements at Parkview Health. This is Part 2 of a 2-part episode, originally recorded as a webinar for the American Associati...

Send us Fan Mail Mitigate your risk. In this special episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade discusses the recent General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) issued by the OIG (Office of Inspector General) with Alex Krouse, Associate General Counsel - Provider Arrangements at Parkview Health. This is Part 1 of a 2-part episode, originally recorded as a webinar for the American Association of Provider C...

Send us Fan Mail Hear Captain Integrity Bob Wade read his original Stark Law holiday poems, “‘Twas the Night before the Subpoena,” “Rudy the Seasoned Compliance Officer,” and “Jolly OIG Agent.” Share the poems with your team and learn more at CaptainIntegrity.com

Send us Fan Mail Thank you, listeners, for making this 100th episode of Stark Integrity happen. In this special milestone and holiday episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade reflects on 2023 and reads his latest custom Stark Law holiday poem, “Jolly OIG Agent.” Hear what Bob is grateful for in 2023, his latest thoughts on the Stark Law, the history of a certain controversial holiday poem, what to expe...

Send us Fan Mail A chair is more than a chair. In this episode, Captain Integrity Bob Wade dives into fixed asset valuations under the Stark Law with Mike Vetter, Partner at HMS Valuation Partners. Hear why valuations in healthcare have additional regulatory guidelines and laws to follow, the devil is in the details, using a certified appraiser with healthcare experience can help keep you complian...