Articles and Blogs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) is now accepting applications from ACOs to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (“MSSP” or “Program”) for the agreement period beginning January 1, 2024. The application process is split into two phases. Phase 1 of the application submission process opened May 18, 2023, and closes... READ MORE

During the COVID pandemic, more and more long-term care providers turned to staffing agencies to fill shifts and staffing shortfalls. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb recently signed Indiana House Enrolled Act No. 1461 (the “Staffing Agency Law”) into law. The Staffing Agency Law contains several changes to laws that impact Indiana long-term care providers and... READ MORE

HCA plans to invest $4.6B this year in land and construction projects for new hospital and outpatient projects. HCA has purchased land in Austin, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and in various Florida markets for new hospital projects. HCA has around 182 hospitals in the U.S. and U.K. and 2,500 outpatient clinics. California has created a $150M loan program for struggling hospitals. The program... READ MORE

NATIONAL AHA recommends congressional action to improve rural access to care AmSurg to buy Envision’s ASCs ASC operator Envision to file for bankruptcy Black communities endured wave of excess deaths in past 2 decades, studies find Congress urged to make certain Medicare telehealth access permanent FTC orders records from Zinc Health, Ascent Health as... READ MORE

On April 18, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) published a Proposed Rule titled “Health Data, Technology and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithms, Transparency and Information Sharing” (“Proposed Rule”).   The Proposed Rule is intended to serve a variety of purposes, including... READ MORE

Could it be that CMS is implementing changes in the Medicare Communications and Marketing standards that will change the content and tone of the omnipresent television and radio advertisements targeted at potential enrollees? On the heels of publishing a final rule modifying the regulations for Medicare communications and marketing in April, on May 10,... READ MORE

Hall Render is pleased to announce James Kiai has joined the firm in its Indianapolis office. James focuses his practice on health care law. With a deep understanding of the complexities and nuances of working with health care clients, James works with hospitals, health systems and other providers to be versatile and forward-thinking while... READ MORE

The Seventh Circuit recently held in Astellas US Holding, Inc. v. Federal Insurance Company, No. 21-3075 WL 3221737 (7th Cir. 2023) (“Astellas”) that insurance policies may need to cover settlements designed to compensate a party and make them whole, including settlements paid the United States government, and the cost of defense in False Claims... READ MORE

NATIONAL 4 Healthcare Design And Construction Trends To Watch AHA urges court to preserve ACA preventive services requirement pending appeal AI may pose ‘existential threat,’ physicians warn in BMJ Biden’s nursing home staff mandates expected soon CareFirst, Noom program aims to ‘retrain’ the brain of members with obesity, prediabetes CDC head to depart Cyberattacks... READ MORE

As skilled nursing facilities work and provide health care services after the May 11, 2023, end of the Public Health Emergency, questions and concerns about visitation at these facilities will likely continue to arise. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently released revisions and additional clarifications to prior CMS guidance on many... READ MORE