CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to Resign in February – CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner announced on January 16, 2015 that she will resign her position at the end of February. Tavenner has served in her position since 2013, and was the first Senate-confirmed Administrator since 2006. Principal Deputy Administrator Andy Slavitt will serve as Acting Administrator until her replacement is confirmed by the Senate. The Obama administration has not indicated whom it will nominate to replace Tavenner.
OCR Says Second Round of HIPAA Compliance Audits Coming Soon. During a recent media roundtable, OCR said it will be quickly implementing the next round of HIPAA compliance audits, which will be accompanied by new audit guidelines. For additional information on the compliance audits, please see King & Spalding’s Data, Privacy, & Security Practice Report for an article highlighting cybersecurity issues as a priority for regulators in 2015.
Roundtable on E-Discovery For Healthcare Providers: Best Practices In A World Of Ever-Increasing Data – On January 29, 2015, King & Spalding will host a Roundtable Webinar to discuss challenges healthcare providers face and best practices they can implement to handle increasingly large data sources and complex e-discovery issues that arise in False Claims Act (FCA) suits. Many healthcare providers understandably struggle with e-discovery issues given widespread implementation of electronic medical records, collection and reporting of quality data linked to payment, and a diverse range of devices used to manage healthcare data. In this 90-minute session, K&S attorneys will share their experiences and case law trends and provide guidance on a number of critical e-discovery issues in the healthcare litigation defense context. You do not have to be a client to attend, and there is no charge. You can register here to attend.