Articles and Blogs

On February 3, 2026, after years of false starts, federal regulation of pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) became reality when the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (the “Act”) was signed into law by President Trump. For the first time, the Act imposes federal requirements on PBMs related to compensation, transparency, reporting and other matters to be... READ MORE

On February 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a new guidance letter (“February 2 Letter”) regarding state directed payments (“SDPs”) as governed by Section 71116 of Public Law 119-21 (which CMS refers to as the “Working Families Tax Cuts” or “WFTC legislation”). Per CMS, its previous September 9, 2025,... READ MORE

On February 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a final rule, effective April 3, 2026, that targets a perceived “loophole” in the current regulatory statistical test applied to State proposals for health care-related tax waivers. The test is intended to make certain that non-uniform or non-broad-based health care-related taxes,... READ MORE

Hall Render is honored to be recognized by the American Health Law Association (AHLA) as one of its Top Volunteer Organizations and is proud to support AHLA’s important educational mission. The AHLA Top Volunteer Organizations program recognizes law firms, health plans, businesses, government agencies and other organizations that consistently encourage and support their professionals’... READ MORE

The upcoming National Resident Matching Program is expected to be affected by several recent immigration-related developments under the Trump administration that employers should incorporate into their match planning strategy, including nationality-based travel restrictions, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) adjudication pause and the $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions filed on behalf of... READ MORE

Hall Render’s Real Estate team frequently works with owners, operators and developers of specialty hospitals. One of our favorite types of specialty hospitals is the inpatient rehabilitation facility (“IRF”). Below is a summary of five things you should know about the IRF sector. Treatment – IRFs are designed to provide inpatient rehabilitation services to... READ MORE

On January 30, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a proposed rule that would substantially revise portions of the Conditions for Coverage for Organ Procurement Organizations (“OPOs”) (the “Proposed Rule”). According to CMS, the Proposed Rule is characterized as building on changes in the 2020 OPO Conditions for Coverage rule... READ MORE

On July 4, 2025, Congress enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”), a statute that, while primarily tax-focused, has meaningful downstream implications for wage administration and employer-provided benefits. Although the OBBBA does not amend core federal employment statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), Title VII or the Family and Medical... READ MORE

NATIONAL Children’s Hospital Association teams with Vizient CMS official defends flat Medicare Advantage rate proposal for 2027 CMS pitches stricter oversight of organ procurement groups: 6 takeaways CMS proposes nearly flat Medicare Advantage payments for 2027: 5 notes CMS proposes excluding chart reviews from MA risk scoring in 2027 payment rule CMS seeks input... READ MORE

On January 16, 2026, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that it recovered a record-breaking $6.8 billion in False Claims Act (“FCA”) related settlements and judgments in the 2025 fiscal year. The 2025 recovery amount more than doubles the previous year’s recovery of $2.9 billion and marks the highest recovery in a single year... READ MORE