Articles and Blogs

As skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies work to assess and admit new residents and patients, they often face the challenge of obtaining all of the information about the individual to make a proper admission assessment and to begin to build a care plan designed specifically for the individual. When a patient is... READ MORE

On June 30, 2023, CMS released the CY 2024 Proposed Rule that would increase the payment rates for freestanding End Stage Renal Disease (“ESRD”) facilities and hospital-based facilities by 1.6% and 2.6%, respectively, and the ESRD Prospective Payment System (“PPS”) base rate to $269.99. For the CY 2024 wage index update, CMS intends to... READ MORE

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Groff v. DeJoy. The Court’s ruling “clarified” the “undue hardship” standard that an employer must establish to deny a religious accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”). Before this decision, the undue hardship standard provided that an employer could... READ MORE

California officials have come to an agreement on how to allocate $19B in tax revenue and federal funding. A large portion of the funds will go to increasing Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, help struggling hospitals, and ease health care workforce shortages. A new article takes a deep dive into health care utilization trends. Outpatient surgery providers are reporting a surge in patient volume as... READ MORE

NATIONAL 3 big noncompete ban wins for physicians 5 systems join $50M poverty and cancer program AHA advises Congress how to advance MACRA payment models Amazon delays virtual care service’s unveiling after senators raised privacy concerns At AHA Hill briefing, hospital leaders say site-neutral payment cuts jeopardize access to care for patients and communities... READ MORE

On June 27, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), in concurrence with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), announced plans to publish a 133-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Notice”) to amend and overhaul the Hart-Scott-Rodino Form and Instructions. The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, requires all persons contemplating... READ MORE

On June 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) released draft guidance (“Draft Guidance”) updating Good Clinical Practices (“GCPs”) recommendations for interventional clinical trials involving human subjects. The Draft Guidance, which is aimed at enabling the incorporation of rapidly evolving technological and methodological innovations into clinical trials, is adapted from the International... READ MORE

A new Indiana law imposes several written disclosure requirements that health facilities must provide to prospective residents. This new Indiana law (“Indiana Memory Care Law”) also includes requirements to follow when developing and executing a resident care plan.  The Indiana Memory Care Law requires an Indiana housing with services establishment that offers memory care... READ MORE

In the latest effort to increase price transparency and lower prescription drug costs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) that, in part, intends to reveal the actual cost of drugs covered by Medicaid. The Proposed Rule includes two new initiatives: A Medicaid managed care organization (“MCO”)... READ MORE

On June 5, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) implemented a national skilled nursing facility (“SNF”) probe and educate program (“SNF P&E Program”). The SNF P&E Program is designed to reduce improper payments by identifying SNFs with high improper payment rates. Recently, CMS’s Comprehensive Error Rate Testing program projected an improper payment... READ MORE