Showing 80 posts in Hospitals.
Pioneer ACOs Find Blazing New Trails Isn't Always Easy
According to a recent Modern Healthcare article, up to 9 of the 32 Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations ("ACOs") may be leaving the program. Four have already notified providers of such withdrawal. Of the 9, 4 of the departing ACOs tentatively say they will be joining Medicare's lower- risk ACO alternative – the Medicare shared savings program. The deadline for deciding whether or not to remain in the Pioneer program is July 31, 2013. Read More ›
Categories: Accountable Care Organizations, Health Care Reform, Hospitals, Medicare/Medicaid, Physicians
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Walgreens Agrees to Record $80 Million Settlement with DEA
On Tuesday, June 11, 2013, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) announced that it had reached an $80 million civil settlement agreement, the largest in DEA history, with Walgreen Co. (“Walgreens”) to resolve allegations involving an “unprecedented number” of record-keeping and dispensing violations under the Controlled Substance Act (“CSA”). According to the DEA’s Press Release, Walgreens negligently allowed controlled substances, including Oxycodone and other prescription painkillers, to be diverted into the black market. Read More ›
Categories: Compliance, Fraud & Abuse, Hospitals, Pharmacy, Physicians, Regulatory
IRS Issues New Regulations Affecting the “Blues” Under Health Reform
The Treasury Department and IRS continue to roll out new regulations related to the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA"). On May 10, 2013, the Treasury Department and IRS released the draft regulations, "Computation of, and Rules Relating to, Medical Loss Ratio", which are intended to help Blue Cross and Blue Shield ("BCBS") organizations comply with the Medical Loss Ratio (“MLR”) rules created by the PPACA. Here's the background ›
Categories: Health Care Reform, Hospitals, Insurance, Physicians, Regulatory
Bills Call For Nurse Staffing Quotas in Michigan Hospitals
California is the only state in the country that has mandated nurse-to-patient ratio requirements for hospitals. If the Michigan Nurses Association and Democratic lawmakers are successful in their current legislative efforts, Michigan will be the second.
House Bill 4311 and Senate Bill 228 are identical bills recently introduced in each chamber by Representative Jon Switalski and Senator Rebekah Warren, respectively. The proposed legislation would require hospitals, including state-owned hospitals and state-owned facilities, to develop staffing plans that provide “sufficient, appropriately qualified nursing staff…in order to meet the individualized needs” of patients.
Significant provisions of the legislation include the following: Read More ›
Categories: Employment, Hospitals, Licensing, Regulatory
Recap From the 2013 Health Law Institute
On March 7 and 8, 2013, the members of Foster Swift’s Health Care Law Group attended the 19th Annual Health Law Institute. This two-day institute, which is co-sponsored by the Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the Health Care Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, focused on recent legal developments in health care law. Specific topics addressed at this year’s Health Law Institute included: Read More ›
Categories: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, HIPAA, Hospitals, Insurance, Physicians, Regulatory
Payments to Doctors Will Soon be Public Knowledge
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, companies that provide drugs, medical devices, biologicals or other medical supplies covered by certain government programs (Medicare, Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program) are required to annually report certain payments they make to physicians. According to a recently issued final rule, payment categories will include: Read More ›
Categories: Compliance, Hospitals, Physicians, Regulatory
Delayed Deadline: Employer Notice Regarding Health Insurance Exchanges
As previously discussed, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires employers to provide notice to their employees related to Health Insurance Exchanges (the “Notice”). The specifics concerning the Notice may be found here. The Notice was required to be given to each current employee not later than March 1, 2013. Read more about the delay ›
Categories: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, Hospitals, Insurance, Physicians, Regulatory
Health Care Benefits Provided to Same Sex Couples in Michigan - Are the Laws Changing?
In 2008, the Michigan Supreme Court concluded that domestic partnership policies intended to provide health care benefits to same sex couples violated Michigan law. Specifically, National Pride at Work v Governor held that such policies violated the Michigan Marriage Amendment (“Marriage Amendment”) by recognizing same sex domestic partnerships as analogous to a marriage or similar union. (The Marriage Amendment recognizes the union of one man and one woman as the only agreement recognized as a marriage and also prohibits public employers from providing health insurance benefits to their employees' same-sex domestic partners.) Since the decision in National Pride... ›
Categories: Employee Benefits, Employment, Hospitals, Physicians
Long-Awaited Privacy Rules Just Published
The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services recently released its final rule (the "Rule") modifying the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") and implementing the statutory requirements of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”). (The Rule was originally expected to be released in February of 2010 when HITECH became effective.) In short, the Rule: modifies HIPAA’s privacy, security and enforcement rules; changes HIPAA’s enforcement rules to increase penalties consistent with HITECH; provides a final rule on breach notification; and modifies HIPAA as required by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
The new rule is approximately 563 pages and can be accessed here. If you have any questions about how the Rule may impact your health care practice, please contact Nicole Stratton at (517) 371-8140 or by using the form below.
Categories: Compliance, HIPAA, HITECH Act, Hospitals, Physicians, Privacy, Regulatory
National Practitioner Data Bank
Hospitals are required to report certain adverse clinical privileging actions and medical malpractice payments to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Since the NPDB was established by the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) in 1986, compliance with these reporting obligations has been largely entrusted to hospitals with little enforcement action by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. There are now reports that the federal government has begun auditing compliance by hospitals with the NPDB reporting requirements. Read More ›
Categories: Audits, Compliance, Hospitals, Physicians
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Best Lawyers® 2021
Congratulations to the attorneys of the Health Care practice group at Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC for their inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2021 edition. Firm-wide, 44 lawyers were listed. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation and as lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Health Care practice group members listed in Best Lawyers are as follows:
- Jennifer B. Van Regenmorter, Holland
To see the full list of Foster Swift attorneys listed in Best Lawyers 2021, click here.