Articles and Blogs

With yet another criminal wage-fixing indictment filed this week, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) signaled its continued commitment to prosecuting anticompetitive conduct affecting the U.S. labor markets, including within the health care industry. On March 16, a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charges a health care staffing executive... READ MORE

NATIONAL 42 Hospitals Sue HHS for ‘Tens of Millions’ of Dollars in Delayed Medicare DSH Payments A hospital fight is renewed — over hospitals Amazon underestimated complexity of healthcare: Report Between a rock and a hard place: Interest rate hikes alarm some hospital CFOs CEO of Moderna grilled by lawmakers about plants to quadruple... READ MORE

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by another 25 basis points, bringing the Fed’s benchmark target to between 4.75 and 5%, the highest since September 2007. The increase poses challenges for hospitals, particularly for providers with lower credit ratings as they look to borrow funds, complete construction projects and control labor costs. Data from NIC MAP Vision... READ MORE

March 17, 2023, was the transition period deadline for full state compliance with the Home and Community-Based Services (“HCBS”) Final Regulation.  As part of the steps to get ready for this deadline, in late 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) visited several settings in multiple states that were identified by the... READ MORE

It is hard to believe that spring is finally here and the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (“OPDP”) has yet to take any enforcement action in 2023. While this seems unusual, it appears consistent with the OPDP’s seemingly measured approach to enforcement actions in recent years. It may also... READ MORE

On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced the COVID public health emergency (“PHE”) will expire and end on May 11, 2023. The end of the PHE has a significant impact on skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) as it ends the remaining regulatory blanket waivers, revisits resident Medicaid eligibility and changes many COVID regulations that... READ MORE

VMG Health released its 2023 Healthcare M&A Report. The report mentioned the following: ASC transaction volume is expected to be strong as large operators continue to acquire smaller operators; Diagnostic imaging center transaction volume has been declining; Acute care hospital transaction volume has been relatively flat; Dental and eye care transactions make up a... READ MORE

NATIONAL AHA, others oppose PhRMA-led campaign to restrict 340B eligibility AHA case studies feature hospitals that integrate physical and behavioral health services As birth rates increase, OB-GYN shortage worsens Biden, divided Congress seek common ground on health care reforms CMS resumes all No Surprises Act payment determinations FTC highlights the hidden impacts of pixel... READ MORE

NATIONAL AMA pressures federal government to fix prior authorization problem plaguing radiology AHA pushes back on new 340B alliance Biden’s $6.8T budget: 15 healthcare takeaways CMS posts guidance for drug negotiation program Emergency medicine sees tough Match Week Hospitals’ labor costs increased 258% over the last three years ‘Indentured servitude’: Nurses hit with hefty... READ MORE

Following on the heels of similar efforts in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, the West Virginia Legislature passed CON legislation that exempts hospitals (inpatient services), ambulatory services and birthing centers from the need to obtain a CON. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is expected to sign the bill into law. The City... READ MORE