During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (the “CMS”) relaxed some rules to expand access to telehealth, including through audio-only communication platforms. With the...more
Change may be coming soon to Pennsylvania’s medical malpractice venue rule (Rule 1006(a.1)) - a change that could send medical malpractice filings in Philadelphia skyrocketing. Last week, the Legislative Budget and Finance...more
Summing up the results of the previous year, regulatory experts have noted that more than half of the businesses punished for HIPAA lapses in 2018 involved well-known big business entities making it a notable theme of the...more
1/18/2019
/ Data-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
NIST ,
OCR ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
PHI ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Public Comment ,
Request For Information
Last spring the WannaCry ransomware cyber-attack crippled the global economy, impacting over 100,000 organizations throughout 150 countries and generating an estimated $4 billion in losses. The National Health Information...more
The Pennsylvania legislature is currently considering legislation that would amend the Pennsylvania Mental Health Procedures Act (the “Act”) to provide for court-ordered outpatient treatment for those suffering from mental...more
With the increased presence of qualified staff members in a physician’s office and the constant time-pressure on physicians, many patients rely heavily on individuals other than the physician to answer questions about...more
Even doctors get sick sometimes, or need to take a vacation, and when they do, patients are not seen and billing does not happen. Cue locum tenens – a system used by providers to ensure continuity of care and revenue when...more
Earlier this month a massive ransomware attack spread throughout 150 countries, infecting 300,000 computers and crippling businesses across the globe. The ransomware, called “Wannacry,” infiltrated a variety of institutions,...more
Providers participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program now have an additional thirteen days to register and attest to meeting the meaningful use requirements for 2016. The Centers for...more
If you are an entity covered by Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), you have less than a week to prepare your non-discrimination notices and taglines. The final rule implementing...more
In today’s busy world, convenience is a prized commodity. From pre-ordering and paying online for your favorite Starbucks drink to pulling up instantaneous directions on Google Maps, people value solutions that save time and...more
By August 1, 2016, all federal agencies must adjust their civil monetary penalties, including penalties required by the False Claims Act (“FCA”), to account for inflation. Last month, the Railroad Retirement Board, which...more
Medical tourism is the term used to describe the movement of patients across international borders in pursuit of medical care and treatment. While in the United States the term is usually associated with Americans leaving the...more
On October 30, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (“CMS”) issued a final regulation that includes modifications to the Stark Law (the “Final Rule”). Among other things, the Final Rule adds two new exceptions to the...more
In the past few years, medical devices have become a major target for online criminals. Not only are medical devices considered to be one of the easiest and most vulnerable points of entry into a health care enterprise, they...more
In July, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation that expands the access, registration, and utilization of the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP). The legislation, Senate Bill 1998 (S-1998), is...more
10/28/2015
/ Chris Christie ,
Controlled Substances ,
Data Collection ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
New Legislation ,
Pharmacies ,
Pharmacist ,
Physicians ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Substance Abuse
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently issued a new advisory opinion finding that free introductory visits (the “Introductory Visits”) for patients offered by a home health...more
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center (“SEMC”), a tertiary care hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $218,400 to the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) to settle alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability...more
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) has released a revised Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information (the “Guide”), which is intended to be a resource for...more
Do you lie awake at night wondering if you or the health care entity for which you work is complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”)? If so, you will be happy to hear that a good night’s...more