Health Care
By: Robert A. Anderson and
on April 8, 2019
On March 21, 2019, the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a resolution to resolve complaints brought against the State of Hawaii by two pregnancy resource centers (the “Centers”). The Centers brought the complaints in 2017 alleging…
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By: and Brandon W. Shirley
on April 8, 2019
D.C. District Court Judge James Boasberg invalidated Federally approved Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and Arkansas and sent the question back to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) for further analysis. The March 27, 2019 decision is a legal setback for CMS and states…
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By: Susan E. Ziel and
on April 8, 2019
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health or “HITECH” Act (hereinafter “HIPAA”)1 establishes numerous obligations for HIPAA covered entities and business associates. One obligation, in…
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By: Susan E. Ziel and Stacy Walton Long
on March 25, 2019
The Indiana Administrative Code, specifically 844 IAC, Article 5, establishes certain professional standards for physicians licensed in the State of Indiana. One particular section, 844 IAC 5-2-16, sets forth requirements governing the discontinuation of a physician’s practice due to retirement or…
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By: Robert A. Anderson and
on March 19, 2019
A former Patient Information Coordinator (Patient Coordinator), previously employed with UPMC and its affiliate, Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers (TRMC) in Mars, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a charge of wrongfully disclosing health information, in violation of the Health Insurance Portability…
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By: Micah J. Nichols and Rodney S. Retzner
on March 5, 2019
A new year means “New Year’s Resolutions.” Many people commit to financial resolutions for 2019, whether it is eliminating debt or creating a monthly budget. Unfortunately, they neglect their estate plans. Adding estate planning to your resolutions is important for a variety of reasons, whether you…
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By: Stephanie T. Eckerle and Brandon W. Shirley
on March 5, 2019
The Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning finalized a rule impacting applied behavioral analysis (ABA) Therapy services effective March 1, 2019. Affected services providers should review and revise business policies and practices to accommodate these new changes as applicable. Note that the final…
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By: Susan E. Ziel and Brandon W. Shirley
on February 20, 2019
The process for dealing with Medicare or Medicaid overpayments is essential to any health care organization. The mishandling of overpayments can result in substantial corporate liability, including potential claims of wrongful retention of overpayments in violation of the False Claims Act. Every…
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By: Stacy Walton Long and
on February 17, 2019
The Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) recently entered into its final Resolution Agreement of 2018 to resolve HIPAA allegations involving Cottage Health, a California health system that serves patients throughout the state. Cottage Health provided notice of breaches of…
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By: Marc T. Quigley and Andrew W. Breck
on February 17, 2019
The OIG recently published favorable guidance in Advisory Opinion No. 19-01 regarding the waiver of cost-sharing amounts for charitable pediatric care in limited circumstances (“Arrangement”). While OIG concluded that the pediatric clinic’s Arrangement could potentially generate prohibited…
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