Articles and Blogs

Overview The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has finalized another rule (“Final Rule”) implementing the President’s Executive Order 13563 calling for the removal or revision of obsolete, duplicative or unnecessary regulatory provisions for the purpose of reducing burdens and costs for a variety of providers and suppliers.  The Final Rule was published in…Read More

Complaints of harassment don’t always result in liability for an employer.  Here’s a case in point. A Syrian born Muslim physician employed at Stroger Hospital in Cook County wrote letters and lodged formal complaints over the years about his treatment by a female coworker who was also a physician in the same department.  The physician…Read More

Background On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, Cardinal Health (“Cardinal”) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) reported that they had reached a settlement related to Cardinal’s Lakeland, Florida distribution center’s (“Lakeland’s”) DEA license.  This settlement resolves the ongoing litigation between Cardinal and the DEA due to the DEA’s Immediate Suspension Order (“ISO”) issued to Lakeland on…Read More

On May 2, 2012, the National Association of Bond Lawyers (“NABL”) submitted suggested clarifications and changes to Revenue Procedure 97-13 (“Rev. Proc. 97-13”) to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).  These comments were prepared by a subcommittee of NABL’s Tax Committee, which subcommittee included Kendall Schnurpel of Hall Render’s Health Care and Public Finance Department. …Read More

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin recently signed Vermont House Bill 413 into law.  The new law adds a new section to Vermont’s laws on abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults residing in long term care facilities.  The new section allows Vermont’s Attorney General the right to pursue a civil action against individuals, nursing homes and…Read More

On May 10, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released an advance copy of a final rule (“Final Rule”) revising several critical access hospital (“CAH”) Medicare conditions of participation (“CoPs”).  These changes, together with a number of changes to the hospital CoPs, will benefit hospitals of both types by allowing for increased…Read More

Overview CMS has released a final rule (“Final Rule”) revising the hospital and critical access hospital (“CAH”) Medicare conditions of participation (“CoPs”).  This Final Rule implements President Obama’s Executive Order 13563 calling for removal or modification of obsolete or unnecessary regulations on hospitals and CAHs.  Indeed, the Final Rule reduces burdens, provides flexibility and saves…Read More

Resumé fraud.  Resumé padding.  Falsified job applications.  Call it what you like, but the topic has figured prominently in the media as of late due to the discovery that a CEO of an international internet company, allegedly embellished his resumé.

Good news for private employers.  Today, May 14, 2012 the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the NLRB lacked a quorum when it took a final vote to issue it’s hotly debated “Quickie Election Rule”.  Consequently, the Rule that would have had the effect of drastically speeding up union elections…Read More

Background Throughout the existence of the Medicare Part D program, the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) has issued several reports concerning the vulnerability of the Medicare Part D program in regards to its potential for fraud and abuse.  On May 9, 2012, the OIG released a report identifying eight questionable billing practices of retail pharmacies throughout the…Read More