As value-based care (VBC) models continue to grow across our nation’s health system and specifically within different specialties like nephrology, the costs and challenges of maintaining these models continue to rise. In...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
The future of non-competition agreements remains volatile. Recent actions by the FTC and several states threaten to limit, or even outright ban, these agreements. Such an evolving regulatory landscape requires employers to...more
KCP supports House bill to restore original intent of Medicare Secondary Payer Act - Kidney Care Partners (KCP) commends the 36 co-sponsors of the bill before the House, who come from both sides of the aisle and represent...more
FTC final rule banning noncompetes grandfathers existing agreements for senior execs - The FTC voted 3-2 in favor of the final rule, which bans noncompete clauses in employee contracts in most cases. While the rule would...more
Five NJ nephrology practices combine under Northeast Kidney Care banner - The combined company claims to be the largest independent group of nephrologists in the state, with 26 locations. ...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
NY Governor vetoes noncompete ban bill after opposition from health, business groups - Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill passed by both houses of the NY legislature in June that would’ve imposed bans of non-compete clauses in...more
Fresenius hiring Ascension Capital exec to head care delivery - The appointment of Craig Cordola as CEO of the dialysis company’s care delivery segment takes effect Jan. 1. He was at Ascension Capital for the past six...more
On Oct. 27, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that will increase payments to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities in calendar year (CY) 2024. The ESRD prospective payment system...more
Six Main Takeaways from the Benesch Healthcare+ Nephrology & Dialysis Conference. Experts included Dapo Afolabi, M.D., President and CEO of Fort Worth Renal Group, Terry Litchfield, President of Access Solutions, Jason...more
The shift in health care from a retrospective fee for service (“FFS”) model to a value based care (“VBC”) model is growing across our nation’s health system and different specialties, including nephrology. VBC models in...more
Valuations, and how a business reacts to them, directly impact a business’s ability to complete successful transactions. In the healthcare sector, compliance with federal and state laws against self-referral and kickbacks and...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
On March 22, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) updated its guidance and survey process for home dialysis services in nursing homes. The updated guidance is based on comments, questions, and feedback...more
Correction to our January 31, 2023 newsletter article, “Dialysis Provider Satellite Healthcare Reports Data Breach Affecting Nearly 100k Patients”: Media Statement, Satellite Healthcare - In January 2023, Satellite...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
Benesch: DOL proposed rule aims to clarify independent contractor classification - The Department of Labor (DOL) proposes changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act to clarify the difference between an independent contractor...more
Benesch outlines five states with data protection laws coming into effect in 2023 - Next year, statutes for data security and data privacy will go into effect in CA and VA on Jan. 1, while laws in CO and CT will be...more
Medtronic, DaVita forming kidney tech company to develop dialysis delivery systems - The healthtech and the dialysis provider will be 50-50 partners in the venture, which will include the entirety of Medtronic’s renal...more
SCOTUS questions appear to support DaVita’s position in dialysis care discrimination case - Private plans are supposed to provide coverage for dialysis for the first 30 months before the patients can transition to...more
Benesch reviews state, federal modifications to restrictive covenant laws - In a “Year-End Review,” Benesch points out there was considerable activity in trade secret and restrictive covenant law in 2021. Some of the...more
On July 13, 2021 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2022 that could result in potentially significant reductions to...more
DaVita, former CEO indicted in federal market collusion case - DaVita and the company’s former CEO, Kent Thiry, were alleged to have conspired with Surgical Care Affiliates to suppress competition for senior-level...more