Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL 5 fights disrupting the physician workforce 4 Joint Commission moves 3 million in rural counties lose MA coverage: Report A dismantled federal patient care research agency: 9 updates AbbVie sues HHS over 340B patient definition CDC clears path for 2nd vaccine advisory panel overhaul CMS finalizes Medicare Advantage star ratings overhaul, sending billions... READ MORE

Two legislative bills in the Tennessee General Assembly could change the hospital and health care landscape in the state. The first bill would remove the Certificate of Public Advantage given to Ballad Health, a 20-hospital system in the state, which receives certain protections. The other bill would repeal the state’s Certificate of Need (CON)... READ MORE

The U.S. Department of Labor issued a Proposed Rule that would significantly change prevailing wage calculations for foreign workers under the permanent labor certification, H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 visa programs. At the center of the proposal is an increase in the prevailing wage levels based more heavily on statistically derived wage percentiles from the... READ MORE

On February 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine (the “Court”) held that a former physician could not compel production of a nonparty minor patient’s medical records in support of her discrimination and whistleblower retaliation claims. Yered v. Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Case... READ MORE

No contract, no problem—at least for now. An Illinois district court (the “Court”) opened the door for hospitals to recover underpaid claims from insurers—holding that a quantum meruit claim may proceed even absent any contract. Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hosp. v. Health Care Servs. Corp., 2026 WL 278804, No. 25-cv-04533, at *1 (N.D. Ill.... READ MORE

The Indiana Court of Appeals (the “Court”) affirmed a trial court’s determination that a patient was gravely disabled—even though he initially sought care for a physical ailment. The Court held that the patient’s refusal of necessary treatment, combined with his lack of insight into both his medical and psychiatric conditions, satisfied the clear-and-convincing-evidence standard.... READ MORE

For years, we’ve heard that outpatient services and home care are the future of health care in the U.S. To a certain extent, that’s true. We’ve seen tremendous growth in outpatient care across the country. Procedures that were once provided in inpatient settings are now provided in ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices. Payers,... READ MORE

NATIONAL 4 senators push CMS to tackle Medicare Advantage upcoding: Bloomberg 7 health systems with boosted outlooks 131 hospitals sue HHS over DSH cuts: 5 notes ACA plans denied 19% of in-network claims in 2024: report AHA urges CMS to limit hospital burden in fraud crackdown, calls for MA scrutiny Bipartisan bill would cap... READ MORE

Indiana Medicaid implemented significant updates for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) therapy—one of the most widely used interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder—effective April 1, 2026. The reforms include phased cuts to reimbursement for ABA therapy, updates to member eligibility and revisions to provider qualifications. The Indiana Health Coverage Programs (“IHCP”) began covering ABA... READ MORE

Our previous article, In Defense of IGTs from Governmental Health Care Providers, noted that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) is required to “consult with the States” before issuing any regulations changing the treatment of intergovernmental transfers (“IGTs”). We received requests for further information about this requirement following the... READ MORE