Taking the Pulse, A Health Care and Life Sciences Video Podcast | Episode 199: Bringing Awareness to Organ and Tissue Donation with Dave DeStefano of We Are Sharing Hope
This week, Heather and Lauren welcome back previous guest Dave DeStefano, the President & CEO of We Are Sharing Hope SC, a federally designated Organ Procurement Organization that facilitates life-saving organ and...more
FTC Investigates Major Dialysis Providers Over Anticompetitive Practices - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care, the largest U.S. dialysis providers, for potentially using...more
In its continuing efforts to improve the organ donation and transplant system and promote health equity, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...more
On May 8, 2024, CMS issued a proposed rule for establishing the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model (IOTA Model). As proposed, the IOTA Model would run for six years starting on January 1, 2025, in Donation Service Areas...more
In just the US, more than 100,000 men, women, and children are waiting for an organ transplant. According to the United Network of Organ Sharing, more than 6,000 people in the US die on an annual basis waiting for a matched...more
Effective October 1, 2019, employers with 15 or more employees in Maryland must provide eligible employees with unpaid leave to serve as organ or bone marrow donors. Leave provided under the law is separate from, and cannot...more
DaVita agrees to $2M settlement of class action over retirement plan fees - The plaintiffs alleged the company failed to properly monitor its $2.6-billion 401(k) and was paying higher-than-necessary administrative fees,...more
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is a public-private partnership that manages the US organ donation and transplantation system. Today, more than 100,000 people are on the organ transplant waiting list,...more
On August 30, 2023, the DOL announced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would increase the salary basis threshold under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for “white collar” exemptions (executive, administrative and...more
As 2024 approaches, employers should be mindful of the following 2023 employment requirements, as well as laws which are effective January 1, 2024....more
Federal Law increases competition in organ procurement, transplant system; NKF, ASN approve - The President signed the bipartisan bill into law on Sept. 22. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) was...more
FTC, DoJ propose changes to HSR Act for more effective, efficient merger reviews - The FTC, along with the Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, proposed changes to the premerger notification form and...more
This new legislation supports the Health Resources and Services Administration ("HRSA") modernization initiative announced in March, including several actions to strengthen accountability and transparency in the Organ...more
NY non-compete ban still receiving pushback as Governor waits to sign off - While NY Governor Kathy Hochul waits to sign off on one of the country’s toughest bans on non-compete agreements, many lobby groups from the...more
Heart and blood vessel diseases already are the leading killers of Americans. They become deadlier as patients age. With so many of us growing older and into unhealthy habits, experts fear the onset of a cardiac crunch, with...more
On July 1, 2023, laws that were passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Glenn Younkin become effective in Virginia. In the most recent legislative session, a number of new employment laws were passed...more
Benesch: MN ban on non-compete agreements includes carveout for business sale, dissolution - Benesch Law notes the bill only awaits the signature of MN’s Governor and could become law as early as July 1. It would prevent...more
The Virginia General Assembly has ended its 2023 legislative session, and it was a quieter year than some in the past. The new legislation that has been signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and that affects employers is...more
MedPAC recommends no additional increase in payments for dialysis in 2024 - MedPAC’s report on outpatient dialysis services recommends Congress not increase Medicare payments for dialysis services next year beyond the...more
Covered employers have 50 or more employees, including the Commonwealth and its agencies, institutions, and political subdivisions. Eligible employees have been employed for at least a 12-month period and worked at least...more
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a law on April 12, 2023 mandating employers provide unpaid organ donor leave. When the law goes into effect on July 1, 2023, Virginia will join nearly 20 other states that require...more
ME trial reminiscent of DaVita anti-poaching case that also ended in acquittal; DOJ strategy questioned - In Apr. 2022, juries in TX and CO acquitted healthcare companies charged by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. In the CO...more
On March 22, 2023, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Modernization Initiative...more
Benesch: Changes to state laws mean IL employers should review their employment practices - In IL, legislation affecting workplaces went into effect at the beginning of the year, including: ..The minimum wage was...more
Federal omnibus spending bill rolls back some Medicare payment cuts scheduled for 2023, 2024 - Buried within the $1.7-trillion spending package signed by the President on Dec. 29 was partial relief for a planned 4.5% cut...more