On November 3rd, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published an opinion letter addressing whether the FLSA requires employers to pay non-exempt employees for time that they spend in voluntary training programs....more
On November 15, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") finalized changes to the Open Payments Program as part of the CY 2020 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. The Open Payments reporting requirements,...more
At the close of 2018, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) released an updated version of its Code of Ethics governing medical technology manufacturers in their interactions with health care professionals...more
On July 23, 2018 the United States House of Representatives passed HR 1676 approving grantsto improve educational programs, research and workforce development in palliative medicine. Many outside the health care community,...more
Although Medicare graduate medical education reimbursement can be a helpful source of financing to facilitate resident training, many community hospitals have suffered a “gotcha” moment when trying to establish new programs....more
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce (the Committee) issued an open letter to the public on December 6, 2014, soliciting input on ways to improve graduate medical education (GME) “financing...more
On Monday, December 15, 2014, CMS published guidance regarding pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers’ obligations under the Open Payments requirements to report payments they provide indirectly to U.S. physicians in...more
In a final rule published in the Federal Register on November 13, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) eliminated the federal Sunshine Act reporting exclusion for payments to physicians at continuing...more
CMS issues a Final Rule that removes the exclusion for reporting of continuing education payments to certain accredited organizations, while also clarifying previously existing parameters that may preclude reporting of these...more
In This Issue: - Connecticut Supreme Court: HIPAA Does Not Preempt Negligence Claims - CMS Removes Continuing Education Exemption to Physician Payments Sunshine Act - Federal Government and New York...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule with comment period addressing, among other issues, changes to the reporting and data collection requirements imposed upon “applicable manufacturers”...more
On October 31, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final Medicare physician fee schedule rule for CY 2015 (the Final Rule), which also includes certain changes to the Sunshine Regulations. ...more
Late last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2015 physician payment fee schedule, which includes changes to the Final Rule implementing the federal Sunshine law. ...more
In the July 3, 2014, issue of the Federal Register, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the proposed calendar year 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule update (the Proposed Rule). The Proposed Rule...more
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released on July 29, 2014, the conclusions of its long-anticipated report regarding Medicare’s graduate medical education (GME) payment system. Recognizing that “withdraw[ing] Medicare funding...more
In This Issue: - Third Circuit Panel Liberalizes “Protected Activity” Immunity for Employees Claiming Whistleblower Status - Doing Time: A Requirement for White Collar Crime? - Casting a Smaller Net:...more
The Final Rule implementing the Physician Payment Sunshine Act was announced on February 1st and published in the Federal Register on February 8th. The Final Rule establishes procedures for drug and device manufacturers to...more
On February 8, 2013, 16 months after the statutory deadline, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Federal Register the final regulation implementing the physician payment transparency...more
On Friday, February 1, 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the highly anticipated final rule to implement the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (the “Sunshine Act”). The final rule will...more
The long-awaited final rule (the Final Rule) implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (Sunshine Act) has arrived at the Federal Register. It amends key definitions and adds new terms; retains broad reporting...more
In an action that will have broad implications for drug and device manufacturers, researchers, distributors, teaching hospitals and physicians, on February 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publicly...more