Articles and Blogs

The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced another I-9 settlement in which the University of California San Diego Medical Center agreed to pay a $115,000 civil penalty for improper I-9 procedures.  In addition to the civil penalty imposed, the organization must also implement new I-9 procedures, conduct I-9 training and work with the DOJ moving... READ MORE

In December, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an initial series of videos aimed at providers that focus on compliance issues.  These videos are part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) Provider Compliance Training initiative.  Health & Human Services Inspector General Daniel Levinson stated the videos are... READ MORE

January 9, 2012 Indiana’s Right-to-Work Battle Heats Up The Indiana General Assembly is “Ground Zero” in the epic battle over the so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation. So much has been written about “Right-to-Work” that it makes some sense to understand what the Indiana proposed legislation actually says. Some Background about “Right-to-Work” Most private non-governmental employers are... READ MORE

In July 2011, the Court of Appeals handed down its opinion in Campbell v. Chambers, 951 N.E.2d 855 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011). The issue in this case was whether or not a mother was precluded from presenting evidence that there was a breach in the standard of care relating to her claim for negligent... READ MORE

Recently, the parents of a stillborn baby sued the midwife, health care center[1] and hospital for wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress, the Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis granted the defendants summary judgment. The Court of Appeals reversed, holding that the parents have a valid claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress... READ MORE

This installment of Hall Render’s Health Law Broadcast series on health care reform is designed to provide you with the insight, analysis and practical suggestions with respect to the various reform initiatives that will affect your organization.   Overview On December 21, 2011, CMS issued a notice soliciting applications for the Independence at Home (“IAH”)... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued revisions to the process Home Health Agencies (HHA) must undergo prior to initial certification.  The revised process adds an additional review of enrollment criteria performed by the Regional Home Health Intermediary (RHHI) or Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC).   READ MORE

The Department of Labor published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in late December aimed at giving the nation’s nearly two million home care workers minimum wage and overtime protections.  These workers have long been working  under an exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as “companion” employees.   READ MORE

What must a successful FCA defendant show to collect attorney’s fees under the Equal Access to Justic Act? Can an error by the government create an FCA violation by a defendant relying upon the government’s acts? Does Vermont Agency of Natural Resources v. US ex rel. Stevens apply to FCA retaliation cases? Can a... READ MORE

Executive Summary On December 14, 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a long-awaited proposed rule, Transparency Reports and Reporting of Physician Ownership of Investment Interests (“Proposed Rule”), discussing the implementation of the physician payment “sunshine” provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”), commonly referred to as the... READ MORE