Bruce Arnold at Husch Blackwell LLP

New Rules Promotes Patient Access To Personal Healthcare Information

Two new federal rules will make it easier for consumers to access, use and transmit their personal healthcare information using an app on their smartphone or tablet. The regulations implement prior legislation and advance...more

4/17/2020 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Health Care Providers , Medicaid , Medicare

The Small Business CARES Act Guide For Those Who Provide Care (Hint: There Are Good Loan Options)

At Husch Blackwell we understand the financial hardships our healthcare industry clients face in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. While you have no doubt heard about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security...more

3/31/2020 / CARES Act , Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Economic Injury Disaster Loans , Relief Measures , SBA Lending Programs

COVID-19 Hospice How-To Series: Taking Advantage of the Temporary Quality Reporting Data Submission Relief

On March 22, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) temporarily lifted the requirements for hospices to submit Hospice Item Set (“HIS”) data and hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and...more

3/30/2020 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Health Care Providers , Hospice , Infectious Diseases

OCR Issues Guidance Related To Disclosures To Law Enforcement, Paramedics, Other First Responders And Public Health Authorities...

On March 17, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance related to how Covered Entities can comply with HIPAA and the Privacy Rule and still disclose protected health...more

3/26/2020 / Coronavirus/COVID-19 , Covered Entities , Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Health Care Providers , Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) , HIPAA Privacy Rule , OCR , Patient Privacy Rights , PHI , Public Health

Considering The Journey To Improved Customer Experience In Healthcare

There is a trend in healthcare toward customer-centrism—placing the interests of the consumer before all other considerations. The trend may be slow in its growth, but for those healthcare organizations that embrace the idea...more

1/6/2020 / HDHP , Health Insurance , Health Savings Accounts

Price Transparency In Health Care . . . Panacea Or Not

Time is running short on the opportunity to comment on a proposed rule further increasing transparency in hospital pricing. The rule was released July 29 and was quickly panned by providers and insurers over provisions...more

9/10/2019 / Affordable Care Act , Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Health Insurance , Proposed Rules

Bipartisan Senators Choose Benchmark Approach To Prevent Surprise Medical Billing

Bipartisan legislation to address surprise medical billing was introduced June 19 in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Most notable for health insurers and providers is the way the bill...more

6/25/2019 / Emergency Rooms , Health Care Providers , Health Insurance , Out of Network Provider , Surprise Medical Bills

Medicare For All, Part 2: Cost, Financing And Impact On Provider Payment

If you track national health care policy developments, you’ve been busy lately. Following weeks of growing declarations from Democrats in support of Medicare for All, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tamped down exuberance...more

4/12/2019 / Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , Healthcare Reform , Medicare , Medicare for All , Provider Payments

Medicare For All…Or Is It?

First in a series. Like it or not, the 2020 presidential election campaign is well underway. With it comes the latest in public policy ideas, including more attempts to overhaul health care in the U.S....more

3/21/2019 / Healthcare Reform , Medicare , Medicare for All , Presidential Elections

Housing Allowance Appellate Decision Secures Millions In Tax Savings For Clergy

Key Points- The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals found the tax-free housing allowance that ministers receive from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be constitutional....more

3/19/2019 / Clergy Members , Employee Housing , Equal Protection , Establishment Clause , Fifth Amendment , First Amendment , Free Exercise Clause , Religious Institutions , Standing

Physician Quality Measures—Growing Numbers Of Them, But Are They Being Used?

For decades, pundits, policymakers and consumer groups have called for better tools to make health care purchasing decisions easier. Greater cost transparency and clear indicators of quality, they say, would help consumers...more

3/12/2019 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Health Care Providers , Physicians

Hospitals React Strongly To CMS’ Changes To Hospital Outpatient Payments

Hospitals are not happy with CMS’ recent changes to hospital outpatient payments. Two hospital associations and three hospitals claim in a federal lawsuit filed December 4, 2018, that CMS had no authority to change the...more

1/24/2019 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , HCPCS , Health Care Providers , Hospitals , Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)

The “Pathways To Success” Final Rule Is Here: ACO’s Face Big Decisions

This is the third article in our series on the new “Pathways” rules for Accountable Care Organizations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its anticipated final rule revising the Medicare Shared...more

1/14/2019 / ACOs , Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Health Care Providers , Medicare , Medicare Shared Savings Program

Health Care Drives Voters At The Polls, But Will Health Care Drive Policymaking?

One conclusion drawn from the 2018 midterm elections is health care is a big deal for Americans. In fact, according to pre- and post-election polling, health care may be the biggest deal, as a plurality of voters identified...more

1/7/2019 / Affordable Care Act , Drug Pricing , Healthcare Reform , Medicaid , Medicare , Prescription Drugs , Trump Administration

CMS Issues Proposed Rule Addressing Payment Error In Medicare Advantage, Expects To Recover $4.5 Billion Over 10 Years

A new rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 26, 2018, would revise the way the agency validates the risk adjustment data and collects repayments from Medicare Advantage (MA)...more

12/4/2018 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Fee-for-Service , Health Care Providers , Medicare , Medicare Advantage , Medicare Part A , Medicare Part B , Proposed Rules

Open Enrollment Update: CMS Releases Benefit And Market Data

Anticipating open enrollment season for coverage in 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released coverage and premium information that will factor into consumer decisions about Medicare and individual...more

11/1/2018 / Affordable Care Act , Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Medicare , Medicare Advantage , Medicare Part A , Medicare Part B , Medicare Part D , Open Enrollment

Court Decision On Overpayment Rule Leaves Uncertain Future For Medicare Payment Methodology And Pending Justice Department...

A federal court decision to vacate regulations concerning “overpayments” to Medicare Advantage plans has left open questions about the way the government pays the insurers and pending cases brought by the U.S. Department of...more

10/2/2018 / Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , Health Care Providers , Medicare , Medicare Advantage , Overpayment

Bruce Arnold

Husch Blackwell LLP

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