Articles and Blogs

Employees in the private sector have a legally protected right to engage in concerted activity for their mutual aid and protection. The NLRB has interpreted this to mean that employees have the right to discuss among themselves ongoing confidential investigations initiated by the employer in response to workplace complaints. An employer that requires or even…Read More

Executive Summary A recent policy memorandum issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) sets binding precedent for notifying USCIS and the Department of Labor when beneficiaries are relocated to new worksites in geographical areas not specified in original H-1B petitions. Under this memorandum, when a beneficiary’s new worksite is outside the “area of intended…Read More

Ways and Means Subcommittee Holds Hearing on MedPAC Recommendations On July 22, the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the recommendations on hospital payment and access to care issues made in a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (“MedPAC”) report to Congress in June. Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said the shift of services from…Read More

Two separate alleged HIPAA violations resulted in an enforcement action by the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) against a Massachusetts hospital (“Hospital”).  On July 10, 2015, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced a $218,400 settlement with the Hospital to resolve HIPAA investigations into two issues:

On July 15, 2015, the U. S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a Wage and Hour Division Administrator’s Interpretation that reasserts the broad definition of employee such that employers will rarely find that the individuals who work for them can be classified as independent contractors. This interpretation, although not having the effect of law, does…Read More

On July 15, 2015, the U. S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a Wage and Hour Division Administrator’s Interpretation that reasserts the broad definition of employee such that employers will rarely find that the individuals who work for them can be classified as independent contractors. This interpretation, although not having the effect of law, does indicate the…Read More

CMS Issues Proposed Rule for Long-Term Care Facilities On July 13, CMS issued a 403-page proposed rule that if finalized would be the most comprehensive set of revisions to long-term care facilities since 1991.  The proposed regulations would affect a wide range of issues including hospital admissions, initiatives to prevent infections, the expansion of residents’ choices in…Read More

Introduction CMS has proposed a comprehensive revision of the requirements for participation for long-term care facilities (the “Requirements”) for the first time since 1991.  The proposed regulations reflect the significant changes in technology, resident care and facility demographics since 1991.  CMS states the proposed regulations are designed to optimize resident safety, reflect current professional standards,…Read More

On July 1, 2015, new legislation aimed at helping victims of stalking and domestic violence maintain their employment went into effect. Specifically, House Enrolled Act (“HEA”) 1159, codified at I.C. 22-5-7 et seq., prohibits Indiana employers from terminating an employee based on: (1) the filing, by the employee, for a petition for a protective order…Read More

Value-Based Purchasing Comes to Home Care On Monday, July 6, CMS issued the pre-publication copy of the proposed FY 2016 Home Health PPS Rule (the “Proposed Rule”).  The Proposed Rule will impose further cuts to home health reimbursement.  This is done in part through a continued application of the Affordable Care Act rebasing, which CMS…Read More