Articles and Blogs

On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a Bulletin on the obligations of covered entities and business associates (regulated entities) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules (“HIPAA Rules”) when using online tracking technologies, such... READ MORE

The U.S. Department of Labor released new Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) Data. The November CPI, for the period over the past 12 months, rose to 7.1%, down from 7.7% in October. The CPI peaked at 9.1% in June. A growing number of health care companies have received credit downgrades over the past few months according... READ MORE

NATIONAL 33 CMS updates in 2022 4 Ways Hospitals Can Reshape Their Future A Rural Hospital’s Excruciating Choice: $3.2 Million a Year or Inpatient Care? AMA applauds MedPAC for acknowledging physician pay gap AMA, medical societies decry pending Medicare cuts Beyond the Big Three PBMs CareOregon announces plans to combine with California health care... READ MORE

Realtor Magazine released 10 Headwinds the Real Estate Market Faces Next Year which include: 1) Inflation and interest rates; 2) Hybrid work models; 3) Labor shortages; 4) Housing imbalances; and 5) ESG requirements. On November 30, FASB proposed several changes to its lease accounting guidance for legally enforceable terms and leasehold improvements involving related-party... READ MORE

NATIONAL Amazon’s Creep Into Health Care Has Some Experts Spooked $3.1 million grant aims to fight long-term care nurse burnout A sign CMS’ vaccine mandate is no sure thing Amazon Ends Support for Third Party HIPAA-Eligible Alexa Skills Behavioral health takes center stage Biden administration considers proposal to end military COVID vaccine mandate CISA,... READ MORE

Under the federal Stark Law, hospitals, physician groups, labs and other provider entities may provide non-monetary (i.e., non-cash or cash equivalent) compensation to physicians up to an aggregate amount of $489 for calendar year 2023. The dollar limit for “medical staff incidental benefits” provided by a hospital to a member of its medical staff... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a recent Memo reminding hospitals and other Medicare certified health care entities of their regulatory obligation to maintain a safe setting for patients, residents and staff. CMS’s action comes at a time when violence in health care settings is on the rise. Although the Memo... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published FAQ guidance on December 2, 2022, indefinitely extending the current enforcement discretion for non-compliance with the No Surprises Act requirement that Good Faith Estimates (“GFEs”) for uninsured or self-pay patients include expected charges from co-providers or co-facilities until future rulemaking is issued. Since January 1,... READ MORE

NATIONAL A drug shortage created by TikTok and 10 more supply chain updates After record penalties, providers can protect themselves from the DOJ with 3 priorities, experts say Biden administration prepares to end mpox emergency declaration -Politico Google Health inks first licensing agreement for mammography AI tech HHS Proposes New Rule to Align 42... READ MORE

Northwell Health (NY) hired a Michelin-star chef to create healthy patient meals without increasing the hospital’s food costs. NPR ran a national story about the hidden costs and perverse incentives when real estate lawyers serve as title agents on a transaction. Investment bank Piper Sandler and Hall Render Advisory’s John Marshall published a whitepaper... READ MORE