US health regulators can now ban doctors and companies for drug misclassification

US health regulators are tightening rules for banning doctors and companies from federal health programs. They can now exclude providers who misclassify outpatient drugs or give false information about them.

Before this, the government could not easily ban providers who cheated on drug pricing or classification. This change means the Office of Inspector General has new tools to fight fraud in federal health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid. It also clarifies how long exclusions last and how providers can get back into the programs.