Articles and Blogs

MedPAC Considers 1% Payment Increase for Hospitals On December 6, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (“MedPAC”) discussed draft recommendations calling for a 1% increase in inpatient and outpatient hospital payments in 2013.  MedPAC, an independent body that advises Congress on Medicare payment policy, is scheduled to vote on the recommendations when they reconvene on January…Read More

Background Checks and Notice Forms The Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) imposes numerous notice obligations on employers who use third-party companies to conduct background checks on their employees and job applicants.  Among other requirements, all job applicants must be informed explicitly: 1) that a background check will be conducted on them; 2) given the opportunity to…Read More

Complain, Complain, Complain… Two African-American nurses for some time had complained about working conditions, race discrimination and unfair treatment at their hospital.  They filed a petition with Human Resources that alleged Filipino nurses were treated better than the African-American nurses.  It was investigated but could not be corroborated.  They complained that other nurses were sleeping…Read More

On November 16, 2012, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan released an 80 page opinion granting Summary Judgment in favor of St. Mary Mercy Hospital in the case Brintley v. St. Mary Mercy et al (No. 09-cv-14014). The plaintiff was a former physician at St. Mary Mercy who had her…Read More

Hall Render has learned that Texas Republican Kevin Brady will become the new Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommitee in Washington, D.C. The 7-term representative of the 8th District northwest of Houston is currently Chairman of the Trade Subcommittee and the third most senior member of the full Ways and Means Committee. He…Read More

Hospitals Lobby Congress on Doc Fix Hospital groups were on the Hill this week lobbying members to protect their current level of Medicare reimbursements.  A recent proposal from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (“MedPAC”), which advises Congress on Medicare payment policy, would lower the hospital payments to the amount a physician would receive in his…Read More

On November 27, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) released its Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2012 Semiannual Report to Congress (“Report”) for the second half of FY 2012.  The Report describes some of the OIG’s major achievements related to the OIG’s enforcement, audit, evaluation and compliance work during…Read More

Did Daughter Really “Need to Care for” Mom in Las Vegas? A jury is going to decide the winner of this game.  Recently a district court in Illinois denied an employer’s motion for summary judgment when it fired an employee who traveled with her mother to Las Vegas in order to “care for” her terminally ill mom. …Read More