HHS Office for Civil Rights Director Melanie Fontes Rainer on Progress and News at OCR
Updates to Statute 1557 that Healthcare Providers Need to Know
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine recently dismissed two separate suits alleging that health plans’ coverage exclusion for weight loss drugs constitutes unlawful disability discrimination. Both complaints...more
On May 9, 2024, the Biden Administration continued its push to update and modernize federal nondiscrimination protections by publishing revised regulations (the “Final Rule”) that amend the Department of Health and Human...more
Late last month, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) jointly published “Guidance on ‘Long COVID’ as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557.” In short,...more
Compliance Today (June 2020) - On March 28, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a bulletin reminding healthcare organizations of their obligations under the...more
Last month, a magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina recommended that plaintiffs’ claim of discrimination for failure to provide materials in Braille be permitted to...more
New litigation targeting large health systems in the Southeast and a new Department of Justice settlement agreement show that disability-discrimination in the healthcare industry is on the rise. ...more
On August 28, 2018, the Southern District of New York awarded monetary damages, injunctive relief, and attorney’s fees to a plaintiff who filed a discrimination complaint under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, Section...more
Almost ten months into the Trump Administration, the executive and legislative branches have been preoccupied with attempting to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) – but each attempt has thus far proved...more
On May 8th, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion with broad implications for healthcare providers, confirming the importance of ensuring effective communication with deaf or hearing-impaired patients....more
Employment law has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to emerging societal issues. Like little microcosms, the workplace reflects society as a whole. The healthcare industry is no exception. All people, regardless...more
Changes are imminent for the Affordable Care Act and a range of other laws and regulations affecting the health care industry. Ballard Spahr attorneys established a Health Care Reform Initiative in 2008 to monitor and analyze...more
As 2016 comes to an end, we are pleased to present you with our traditional End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” Lists. Like last year, we are presenting our “To Do” Lists in three separate Employee Benefits Updates. Part 1 of...more