In an April 6, 2012 Survey & Certification Letter (S&C: 12-26-HHA) [PDF] CMS reminded Home Health Agencies (HHAs) of the January 1, 2010 change in the process for an HHA to reactivate its billing privileges. Since the June 2006…more
CMS has been busy addressing GME and IME issues in recent days. First, in late April, the agency issued its proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2013 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) update, which contains a number of…more
Part One of a Three-part Series
In this economic downturn, the number of uninsured patients is on the rise. The impact on hospital emergency departments, where uninsured patients often seek treatment for a medical…more
On May 2, 2012, the Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a nationwide takedown of 107 individuals for Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false…more
A number of bills were passed during the Maryland General Assembly's 2012 legislative session that will impact certain sectors of the construction industry. Ober|Kaler has put together brief summaries of certain bills from…more
The United States Department of Justice announced recently that Walgreens had agreed to settle federal False Claims Act allegations arising out of a prescription gift card program. The $9.2 million settlement concluded an…more
In a unanimous opinion filed on April 30, 2012, the Maryland Court of Appeals has established that provisions of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act apply to the information contained in a condominium resale certificate. The…more
Nine million Americans are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Called "dual eligibles," these individuals account for a disproportionate amount of the spending across both programs. Fifteen states will soon launch programs…more
In the recently decided case University Med. Ctr., Inc. v. Sebelius [PDF], the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia upheld CMS policies regarding nonhospital training agreements as those policies were applied in…more
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently agreed to settle a dispute with many hospitals involving the calculation of the Medicare wage index. The settlement involves the calculation of the rural floor budget…more
CMS has released its proposed federal fiscal year (FFY) 2013 prospective payment system (PPS) rule for inpatient stays in acute care and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). The rule projects an increase in operating payments to…more
Eligible professionals who have been frustrated by the requirements of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program (the "Program" or "Meaningful Use") were offered some (potential) relief in CMS's new proposed rule for…more
On the heels of its $1.5 million settlement with a large payor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil rights (OCR) announced on April 17, 2012, that it settled with a…more
On March 24, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent the much-anticipated rule implementing the HITECH Act changes to HIPAA (HITECH Rule) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This starts the clock…more
The April 30, 2012, deadline for all employers to post a notice advising employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) has been postponed due to an injunction granted this week.
As you know this…more
This profile may constitute attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Any correspondence with this profile holder does not constitute a client/attorney relationship. Neither the content on this profile nor transmissions between you and the profile holder through this profile are intended to provide legal or other advice or to create an attorney-client relationship.
