On May 9, 2024, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act No. 24-6, “An Act Concerning the Reporting of Medical Debt,” (The Act). The Act prohibits health care providers from reporting medical debt to credit...more
On May 9, 2024, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act No. 24-4, “An Act Concerning Emergency Department Crowding,” (The Act). The Act requires all Connecticut hospitals with an emergency department to, no...more
5/20/2024
/ Connecticut ,
Data Management ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
New Legislation ,
Patient Access ,
Patient Safety ,
Regulatory Reform
On March 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) updated its guidance on the “Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates” (Guidance)....more
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 October 13, 2023, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion 23-07 (Advisory Opinion), in which the OIG issued a favorable opinion regarding a physician group employer’s proposal to pay bonuses to its...more
On June 28, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act No. 23-97, “An Act Concerning Health and Wellness for Connecticut Residents.” The Act includes a wide range of provisions aimed at supporting health care...more
On June 28, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act No. 23-97, “An Act Concerning Health and Wellness for Connecticut Residents.” The Act includes a wide range of provisions aimed at supporting health care...more
7/21/2023
/ APRNs ,
Connecticut ,
Credentialing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Licensing Rules ,
Medical Records ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Nurses ,
Opioid ,
Physical Therapists ,
Public Acts
Connecticut Governor Signs Health Care Bill Revising Connecticut’s Facility Fee Law -
On June 27, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-171 entitled “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting...more
On June 7, 2023, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB6669, “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”), which includes a prohibition on certain contractual clauses in agreements...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
Health care providers subject to the Information Blocking rules issued under the 21st Century Cures Act, Pub.L. 114–255, are reminded that such Information Blocking rules will apply to an expanded set of information beginning...more
On May 7, 2022, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget (HB5506) (Act) which implements the state budget and makes various changes to certain Connecticut statutes. Among the...more
On May 7, 2022, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget (HB5506), which includes the elimination of certain taxes on ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in Connecticut. Since October...more
On April 27, 2022, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion 22-08 (Advisory Opinion) in which it declined to impose sanctions against a federally qualified health center (Requestor) for an arrangement...more
4/29/2022
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Cell Phones ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Health Care Providers ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Remuneration ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently created a new webpage related to telehealth. The purpose of the webpage is to summarize the OIG’s telehealth oversight work to provide a summary of its findings and...more
On March 24th, 2022, the Advanced Medical Technology Association’s (AdvaMed) Board of Directors approved updates to the AdvaMed Code of Ethics (Code), which provides guidance to the health care industry on interactions...more
On February 14, 2022, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued Advisory Opinion No. 22-03 (Advisory Opinion) regarding a home health agency’s (Requestor) proposal to pay nurse aide certification tuition costs on behalf of...more
2/15/2022
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Beneficiary Inducement ,
Certification Requirements ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Home Health Agencies ,
Medicaid ,
Nurses ,
OIG ,
Remuneration ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Tuition
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
On February 9, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $3.8 million settlement with Catholic Medical Center (CMC) of Manchester, New Hampshire. This settlement resolves allegations that CMC violated...more
On July 7, 2021 Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 21-135 (the “Act”). The Act, among other things, makes a revision to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) statutes allowing DDS regional or...more
On May 10, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law “An Act Concerning Telehealth” (the “Act”). The Act extends, until June 30, 2023, many of the COVID-19 related telehealth expansions issued by Governor Lamont...more
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued a notice this week stating that it will not impose penalties for HIPAA non-compliance in connection with a covered entity health care provider’s or business associate’s good faith use...more
HHS Publishes Significant Updates to Anti-Kickback Statute Safe-Harbors and Beneficiary Inducement CMP Regulations -
On November 30 and December 2, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector...more
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