Articles and Blogs

On November 20, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a much anticipated final rule (“Final Rule”) aimed at modernizing and streamlining key regulations under the federal Stark Law. As anticipated, the Final Rule included some major changes to the Stark regulations that will drive physician contracting, compensation models and compliance... READ MORE

NATIONAL 9 recent big tech partnerships in healthcare: Amazon, Google, Microsoft AMA: Drug shortages urgent public health crisis Biden closes in on pick for HHS secretary CMS finalizes physician-owned hospital boost, end of inpatient-only list CMS Finalizes 2021 Physician Fee Schedule, Including E/M Changes CDC may shorten 14-day COVID-19 quarantine recommendation CDC trims COVID-19... READ MORE

On November 12, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Department of Labor and Department of the Treasury jointly published a final rule requiring health care payors to publicly disclose certain price and cost-sharing information (the “Final Rule”). The Final Rule, which HHS refers to as the “Transparency in Coverage”... READ MORE

On Wednesday, November 25, 2020, CMS announced additional flexibilities in the “Hospitals Without Walls” waiver initiative designed to permit even greater flexibility for hospitals to treat eligible patients in the patient’s home. It is critical to note that this is an individualized waiver program. Each hospital that wishes to provide care through the Acute... READ MORE

The Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) in its November Work Plan has put hospitals on notice that it is going to begin auditing short-stay inpatient claims for compliance with CMS’s Two-Midnight Rule. Short stay claims – claims for inpatient stays of less than two midnights – have caused hospitals and providers considerable confusion over... READ MORE

Late this afternoon, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) released long-awaited and highly anticipated Stark and Anti-Kickback Statute final rules (“Final Rules”) aimed at modernizing and streamlining key fraud and abuse regulations under the federal Stark, Anti-Kickback and Civil Monetary Penalties Laws. As anticipated, the Final... READ MORE

NATIONAL 17 HIPAA settlements in 2020 10 health systems opening hospitals 22% of US hospitals anticipate a staffing shortage, HHS data shows 29 hospitals postponing elective procedures amid the COVID-19 resurgence A pandemic snapshot: 10 hospitals, health systems experiencing workforce shortages After Hahnemann, AMA steps up efforts to protect residents As the Pandemic Surges,... READ MORE

It turns out that the mail-in voting debate extends beyond the 2020 presidential election. In particular, and as you may recall based on our previous post, union elections around the nation have been ripe for controversy in the mail-in voting discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or the “Board”)... READ MORE

On November 16, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) released a Special Fraud Alert (the “Alert”) addressing speaker program payments made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies to health care professionals (“HCPs”). Specifically, the Alert focuses on company-sponsored events at which the HCP makes a speech... READ MORE

NATIONAL 18 physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers elected to Congress 17 hospitals postponing elective procedures amid the COVID-19 resurgence 39 hospitals face maximum Medicare readmission penalties 3 areas newly ripe for employer-driven change in healthcare policy A breakdown of 5 recent CMS rules ACA legality case has first encounter with Supreme Court AMA:... READ MORE