The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised certain payment policies under the Medicare physician fee schedule, and updated provider and supplier enrollment regulations. CMS recently published a final rule...more
By looking at the events that have transpired since the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which includes the No Surprises Act (the Act), was signed into law, it is clear that the Departments of Health and Human Services,...more
9/27/2023
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medical Bills ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
U.S. Treasury
Providers finally obtained court ordered relief to the $350 administrative fee each party was required to pay as part of the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Process under the No Surprises Act. Until the...more
We are not surprised by the continued stop-and-go regarding guidance surrounding the No Surprises Act. Most recently, a Texas court vacated portions of the No Surprises Act’s updated final rule (the final rules were discussed...more
3/21/2023
/ Billing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
U.S. Treasury
The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) issued final rules related to the No Surprises Act on August 26, 2022, to be effective October 25, 2022 (Final Rules). These Final Rules...more
9/16/2022
/ Billing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
U.S. Treasury
Given the trajectory, it is no longer surprising that the No Surprises Act (the Act) continues its turbulent path through implementation. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, on July 26, 2022, again...more
The No Surprises Act (the “Act”) continues muddling through its implementation period. We have discussed the Act in prior posts, and most recently on March 8, 2022. The surprises have continued, with new updates coming out...more
The No Surprises Act (the Act) continues to bump through its initial implementation phase. As we discussed in our prior blog, out-of-network physicians and facilities (OON Providers), and their allies, are pushing back...more
Florida is continuing its efforts to improve patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). The Florida Legislature previously approved a requirement that hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs)...more
2/2/2022
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Florida ,
Health & Safety Standard ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Patient Safety ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Surgical Center Requirements ,
Surveys
Effective January 1, 2022, new billing protections went into effect that have the goal of providing greater protections for patients against surprise medical bills. As we discussed in our prior blog, the Departments of Health...more
Efforts to stop surprise medical costs are continuing to evolve. The Departments of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Labor, and Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”), and the Office of Personnel Management issued an...more
Before closing its 2021 session, the Florida Legislature passed several bills that impact health care.
The first bill discussed below regarding civil liability became effective on March 29, 2021. The majority of the other...more
7/16/2021
/ Civil Liability ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Florida ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medical Examinations ,
New Legislation ,
Pain Management ,
Personal Care Assistants ,
Vaccinations
The Florida medical community was left concerned and confused by the passage of the original 2020 pelvic examination law. As we discussed in our past blog, practitioners believed the law was overly burdensome, and they were...more
At first glance, it appeared that hospitals were complying with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) price transparency requirement, which became effective January 1, 2021. Upon a closer look; however, multiple...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent a clear message to states and providers: they already have the tools to improve healthcare. Through a combination of value-based arrangements and already existing...more
Hospitals that are not ready for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) new transparency requirement must act quickly. CMS has advised that the new year will begin with new auditing and monitoring of these...more
COVID-19 has made healthcare organizations acutely aware of the need to fine-tune their internal safety systems. The National Steering Committee for Patient Safety (NSC), comprised of 27 organizations, has come to the rescue....more
Healthcare practitioners, including medical students, are now prohibited from performing pelvic examinations on female patients without first obtaining written consent, but many specific, logistical questions were left...more