Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL CMS Expands Nursing Home Telehealth Coverage, Waives HIPAA Penalties During COVID-19 Outbreak CMS loosens telehealth laws after national emergency declared for COVID-19 Controversial EHR mandate in interoperability rule could threaten hospital Medicare reimbursement Coronavirus Threatens Strained Rural Health Care System Health providers seek at least $1B in next coronavirus stimulus bill HHS Issues... READ MORE

In response to the spread of novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) and the Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) have issued guidance on how COVID-19 will impact merger review and filings under the Hart-Scott Rodino (the “HSR”) Act. On March 13, 2020, the FTC and DOJ suspended the submission of hard... READ MORE

Thursday, March 19 Recap Note – ​We believe this is the most up-to-date information available at this time, but it is subject to change ​as circumstances warrant. Also, all finalized resources can be found ​on the COVID-19 ​Resource ​Center page ​of Hall Render’s website. Congressional Outlook Senate Republicans released the attached proposal for the third COVID-19... READ MORE

On March 18, 2020, the FDA issued FDA Guidance on Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medical Products during COVID-19 Pandemic that provides guidance for Sponsors, Clinical Investigators and Institutional Review Boards (“IRBs”) on how to address disruptions in the conduct of clinical trials (“Trials”) as a result of COVID-19. COVID-19 Disruptions to Clinical Trials... READ MORE

As required by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (“Sunshine Act”)[i], manufacturers of many drugs, medical devices, biologicals and other medical supplies — as well as applicable group purchasing organizations (“GPOs”) — will soon complete (March 30, 2020) their reporting to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) of payments made and other investment... READ MORE

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Emergency Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) into law. Among other things, the new law creates the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, each of which creates excused time off and paid leave for certain employees dealing... READ MORE

Click here for information on the filing deadline extension. Separately from the enactment of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act by Congress on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued Notice 2020-17 to provide special payment relief to individuals and businesses in response to COVID-19. Under the... READ MORE

Citing special circumstances in the national interest, the Office for Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) has granted a temporary exemption and waiver of federal affirmative action obligations under certain federal contracts. The exemption and waiver applies only to federal contracts entered into between March 17, 2020 and June 17, 2020 for the specific purpose... READ MORE

As the COVID-19 outbreak threatens to rapidly overload the health care system and global economy, threat actors seeking to profit during the chaos are increasing their activity. As such, disruptive and destructive cyberattacks could potentially delay or terminate critical services as the demand for COVID-19 testing and treatment continues to increase. This includes not... READ MORE

Mergers and acquisitions in the health care industry present unique challenges that are not often present when undertaking similar transactions in other industries. Because of health care’s highly regulated nature, parties may falter if a health care transaction is not reviewed and negotiated carefully with respect to the distinct concerns that health care presents.... READ MORE