On February 8, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a quality standard memorandum (QSO Memo) updating and revising a memorandum it issued on January 5, 2018, to now permit the texting of patient...more
On November 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule titled “21st Century Cures Act: Establishment of Disincentives for Health Care Providers That Have Committed Information...more
11/1/2023
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Information Blocking Rules ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda
On June 27, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-171 entitled “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”), which includes changes to Connecticut’s...more
New York Governor Vetoes Act Prohibiting Establishment and Expansion of For-Profit Hospices -
On December 23, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed Assembly Bill Number A8472 “An Act To Amend The Public Health Law,...more
1/6/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Elder Care ,
For-Profit Corporations ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospice ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
New York
In a February 14, 2022, press release, The Joint Commission (Joint Commission) announced that it began surveying affected facilities for compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) interim final rule...more
2/15/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Surveys ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The Robinson+Cole Health Law Group is committed to examining and reporting on issues important to the health care and life sciences industries. Below are excerpts from our Health Law Diagnosis blog, where we post on fraud and...more
On May 8, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published an interim final rule with comment period (the “Interim Rule”) in the Federal Register, setting forth additional regulatory waivers and other...more
On April 21, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that clinicians participating in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) can earn credit in the Merit-based Incentive payment system (MIPS) by...more
On April 9 and 10, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated and revised their COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing....more
On March 30th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued blanket waivers (Blanket Waivers) of sanctions under the federal physician self-referral law (Stark Law) to relax regulatory requirements related to...more
On October 17, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published proposed rules to update the regulatory Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) safe-harbors and exceptions to the Physician Self-Referral (PSR) Law, known...more
10/23/2019
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Healthcare Reform ,
OIG ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Safe Harbors ,
Self-Referral ,
Stark Law
On April 22, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced two new voluntary risk-sharing payment models—Professional Population-Based Payment (PBP) and Global PBP. ...more
On April 5, 2018, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced its findings that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) paid practitioners for telehealth services that did not meet Medicare requirements....more
On December 28, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a memo to state survey agency directors clarifying its position on the use of text messaging among health care providers. ...more
CMS recently announced updates to its Hospital Compare website. CMS provides the Hospital Compare website to give patients, their families and other health care stakeholders information on the performance of hospitals...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the withdrawal of three proposed rules that, in one case, had been pending since 2014. The first proposed rule that CMS decided to scrap was proposed in...more
10/4/2017
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Equal Protection ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Obergefell v. Hodges ,
Proposed Rules ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
US v Windsor
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) to scale back its mandatory bundled payment programs. Under the Proposed Rule, CMS would cancel the episode payment...more
On October 14, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule with comment period (Final Rule) implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The Final Rule...more
10/28/2016
/ Alternative Payment Models (APM) ,
CEHRT ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization (MACRA) ,
MIPS ,
Physician Medicare Reimbursements ,
Physicians ,
PQRS ,
Quality Payment Program (QPP) ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Value-Based Payments
DOJ, NY AG REACH SETTLEMENT WITH HOSPITALS IN LANDMARK 60 - DAY RULE CASE -
On August 24, 2016, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and the New York State attorney general announced a $2.95 million...more
9/7/2016
/ 60-Day Rule ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Medicare Part A ,
Medicare Part B ,
Overpayment ,
Overpayment Recovery Time Limits ,
Physician Assistants ,
Settlement ,
Vaccinations
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced it will implement a pre-claim review demonstration for home health services. The three-year demonstration will apply to home health services performed in...more
On February 12, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule (Final Rule) interpreting the application of Section 1128J(d) of the Social Security Act (the 60-Day Rule) to over payments...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a final rule (Final Rule) that implements the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model (CJR Model), a new bundled payment program covering certain...more
CHANGES TO STARK LAW, NEW ADVANCE CARE PAYMENTS INCLUDED IN 2016 PHYSICIAN
FEE SCHEDULE -
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a final rule (Final Rule) regarding physician payment...more
On October 29, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services (jointly, the “Agencies”) issued a final rule (Final Rule) regarding waivers...more
On October 16, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule (Final Rule) that streamlines Stage 2 and finalizes Stage 3 of the Medicare and Medicaid electronichealth record (EHR) Incentive...more
11/4/2015
/ CEHRT ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Compliance ,
EHR ,
Electronic Health Record Incentives ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Meaningful Use ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Reporting Requirements