Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL 3 healthcare executive actions expected from Biden this week 33% of orthopedic surgeons burned out in 2020: 10 findings 1,900 Moderna vaccine doses spoiled at Boston hospital after freezer is unplugged Almost half of older adults aren’t using patient portals, prompting concerns for vaccine scheduling Biden appoints Rear Admiral Susan Orsega as acting... READ MORE

On December 27, 2020, the latest COVID-19 relief bill, titled the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “Act”), was signed into law. In addition to substantial economic relief, the Act included several other provisions relevant to rural health providers, including the establishment of a new type of rural hospital provider and increases in payments for... READ MORE

December 2020 was one of the deadliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 77,000 people died from the disease, and over 6.4 million tested positive with daily COVID-19 counts averaging over 205,000 cases. Yet despite these increased numbers and the corresponding effect on the domestic and global economy (another 140,000 workers lost their jobs... READ MORE

Starting today, January 19, 2021, health care organizations nationwide must comply with new regulations aimed at modernizing and streamlining key regulations under the federal Stark and Anti-Kickback Statutes. As we’ve noted in our prior alerts and content, the impact of these new regulations will be significant. The new regulations show that CMS and OIG... READ MORE

Late last month, as part of its 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (the “Act”), Congress appropriated $249,950,000 in additional funds to the highly demanded COVID-19 Telehealth Program (the “Program”) established by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”). The FCC is seeking public comment, with the initial comment period ending on January 19, 2021, on how to... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published numerous updates to its rules for graduate medical education in 2020, many of which take effect in the early part of 2021. This client alert is part one of our three-part series giving insight into these CMS changes and more recent statutory changes. Moonlighting Rule... READ MORE

NATIONAL 10 cities with biggest annual physician pay growth 20 healthcare moves from Amazon, Google, Microsoft & Apple in 2020 AHA to feds: Give COVID-stressed hospitals a break on price transparency compliance Biden plans stimulus relief worth trillions: 5 things to know Biden to release all COVID-19 vaccine doses instead of stockpiling 2nd round... READ MORE

Over the last year, health care providers (“Recipients”) have received billions of dollars in relief fund payments from the Provider Relief Fund (“Relief Fund”) created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) signed into law in March. Recipients of Relief Fund payments are required to comply with certain auditing and... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently adopted its Final Rule (the “Final Rule”) modifications to the Stark Law aimed at modernizing and clarifying various regulations. Two such changes are universally relevant, but particularly so for those who practice in the health care real estate realm. For an overview of all changes... READ MORE

Increasing numbers of hospitals and health systems are addressing social determinants of health in order to advance the health status of their communities. Among these efforts, the development of affordable housing is regarded as a key to improving the physical and mental health of a community’s low-income population. Consequently, many hospitals and health systems,... READ MORE