Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL AHA, CHA respond to Human Rights Watch report on nonprofit hospitals AMA urges end of noncompete clauses in physician contracts Amazon launches $100M generative AI center, targeting healthcare As urged by AHA, Supreme Court rules government can dismiss FCA case over relator’s objection Biden announces leader of the CDC Bill would give Biden... READ MORE

AdventHealth has exited the nursing home business, selling all 10 of its SNFs to third-party operators. Eight of the facilities were located in Florida, one was in Texas and one was in Kansas. The health care facility management industry is poised for significant growth according to a recent report. Health care facility management revenue... READ MORE

On June 16, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court decided United States ex rel. Polansky v. Executive Health Resources, Inc. The Court’s opinion settles two outstanding questions about the authority of the Government to dismiss FCA actions in which it first declines to intervene but that whistleblowers continue to pursue on the Government’s behalf. First,... READ MORE

The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (the “WHD”) recently issued an opinion letter on May 30, 2023. This opinion letter clarifies how to calculate the amount of leave used under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) when an employee takes FMLA leave for less than a full week during a week... READ MORE

BJC Healthcare and St. Luke’s Health System of Kansas City have announced plans to merge. The merger will result in a $10B health system with 28 hospitals, more than 100 care locations and 5,200 physicians. Henry Ford Health announced plans to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to fund a portion of the cost... READ MORE

NATIONAL 5 proposed medical debt solutions, per the AHA 5 recent moves from The Joint Commission 340B Program Enrollment Led to More Oncology Services at Rural Hospitals Acute care hospitals spend billions on quality data reporting: study AHA Comment Letter on Long-term Care Facility PPS AHA podcast: How Community Investment Saved a Rural Health... READ MORE

On June 8, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced the Making Care Primary Model (“Model”), a new multi-payor, voluntary primary care model tested by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (“CMMI”) and aimed at strengthening the primary care infrastructure for Medicare and Medicaid patients. The Model focuses on primary... READ MORE

On June 1, 2023, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Iowa House File 685 into law. Iowa House File 685 contains several changes to Iowa’s change of ownership laws for nursing homes. Changes to Iowa’s Change of Ownership (CHOW) Laws Iowa House File 685 creates a new Iowa Code Section 135C.7A, which adds to the... READ MORE

NATIONAL As AI advances in healthcare, industry players wrestle with its risks AHA Comments on FY 2024 Proposed Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities AHA rebukes ‘flawed’ study on hospital finances AHA urges CMS to consider inflation, staffing in light of proposed inpatient rehab rule AHCA prepared to sue over minimum staffing mandate AMA, radiology... READ MORE

Over 500 nursing home providers gathered in Washington, DC recently to protest an upcoming minimum staffing rule that CMS is currently drafting. Industry trade groups and providers are concerned about the financial pressure they may face under the rule. KPC Promise Hospital may be evicted from Merit Health River Region Hospital in Vicksburg, MS.... READ MORE