Articles and Blogs

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 (e.g.,…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 does…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, 2022,…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 on…Read More

Site Selection Magazine released its 2022 Business Climate Ratings. The top 5 states in terms of business climate were: Virginia, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and Arizona. Roper St. Francis announced plans to invest $1 billion to build a new hospital campus in North Charleston, South Carolina. The campus will include a full-service hospital, medical office…Read More

The Architectural Billings Index showed the first decline in overall billings at architectural firms since January 2021, indicating that cost pressures on construction projects are easing and maybe even starting to decrease, along with backlogs of projects at architectural firms. Rendina Healthcare Real Estate acquired a portfolio of 12 medical office buildings in a $1-billion…Read More

CMS intends to increase its oversight and scrutiny of changes of ownership (“CHOWs”) and operator disclosures for skilled nursing facilities. On November 2, 2022, CMS announced revisions to the Calendar Year 2023 Payment Policies that impact Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; and…Read More