Articles and Blogs

On June 30, 2011, CMS published a Proposed Rule (“Proposed Rule”) to retract the November 29, 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (“Final Rule”) that required a physician’s or non-physician practitioner’s (“NPP”) signature on all paper requisitions for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests paid on the basis of the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.  CMS... READ MORE

The year is half over, and there have been many developments in the employment and labor field that have us all talking and wondering what lies ahead.  The Supreme Court has made several rulings that will have a significant impact on employment litigation.  Most recent is the Wal-Mart decision that put an end to... READ MORE

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This morning, the National Labor Relations Board (Member Hayes dissenting) proposed reforms of the procedures it follows prior and subsequent to conducting a secret ballot election to determine if employees in the private sector wish to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining. The proposed amendments are intended to reduce unnecessary litigation, streamline pre-... READ MORE

This installment of Hall Render’s Health Law Broadcast series on health care reform is designed to provide you with the insight, analysis, and practical suggestions with respect to the various reform initiatives that will affect your organization. Executive Summary Effective July 1, 2011, the  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  (“CMS”) will prohibit Medicaid payments for medical... READ MORE

On June 9, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) released Announcement 2011-37 (“Announcement”) indicating the entire Part V, Section B (“Part V.B”) of Schedule H to the Form 990 will be optional for tax-exempt hospitals filing for the 2010 tax year.  Tax-exempt hospitals are still expected to complete all other parts of Schedule H,... READ MORE

The National Labor Relations Board, in a 3 to 1 decision last week, ruled that a union’s use of a 16-foot high and 12-foot wide inflatable rat balloon on public property outside of a hospital’s main vehicle entrance was lawful and not prohibited secondary boycott activity. This case began in 2003 when the Sheet... READ MORE

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) formally published its proposed regulations implementing changes to the Accounting of Disclosures provisions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”).  The proposed regulations arise from requirements in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”), passed as part... READ MORE

Ushering in a new era of fraud enforcement, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have been hosting a series of summits, webcasts and tweets on health care fraud prevention. A national Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT)... READ MORE

By law, U.S. employers must verify the identity and employment authorization for every worker they hire, regardless of the employee’s immigration status. To comply with the law, employers must complete Form I-9. Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)  launched I-9 Central, a new online resource center dedicated to Form I-9, Employee... READ MORE