The courts continue to move the vaccine mandate goalposts on employers as dozens of legal challenges work their way through the courts. The latest developments are major game changers for employers. As of the publishing of...more
A flurry of litigation in federal district and appellate courts has led to an even split between states in which the COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may be implemented and...more
On November 12, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an updated version of its Quality, Safety and Oversight Group memorandum, QSO-19-13-Hospital, containing much-anticipated final guidance on...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an interim final rule with comment period (IFR) on November 5, 2021, that implements the Biden administration’s previously announced vaccine mandate for...more
On November 4, 2021, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect employees of large employers in all industries from COVID-19. The Centers for...more
11/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
OSHA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
[co-authors: Timothy Cotter and Kathryn Hastings, SullivanCotter; David Jarrard, Jarrard Inc.; Ken Kaufman and Andrew Majka, KaufmanHall; Zachary Morfin, PhD., and David Nygren, PhD., Nygren Consulting; Scott Steffens, Grant...more
10/13/2021
/ Audit Committee ,
Board of Directors ,
Compensation Committee ,
Corporate Communications ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Management ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Corporate Strategy ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Engagement ,
Executive Compensation ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Human Capital ,
Privacy Committee ,
Shareholders
On September 9, 2021, US President Joe Biden announced a multipronged plan to increase the number of Americans who are vaccinated for COVID-19. In the plan, titled “Path Out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action...more
9/27/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Branch ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
Under current Medicare program rules, Medicare does not recognize “freestanding emergency departments” or other non-hospital providers of emergency department services. Medicare will only pay for these services at facilities...more
Stay current on the healthcare enforcement issues impacting your business’ compliance strategies. In this installment of the Healthcare Enforcement Roundup, we address:
• Key areas of enforcement scrutiny in 2021,...more
4/2/2021
/ 1135 Waivers ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
OIG ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Revocation ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) notified state survey agency directors that it has lifted previously imposed hospital survey suspensions and resumed routine hospital reaccreditation and recertification...more
In a recent letter to state governors, Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Norris Cochran signaled the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) commitment to “predictability and stability” in the ongoing...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) notified state survey agency directors of renewed hospital survey limitations and notification expectations for states and hospitals during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in...more
On January 11, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new web portal to more easily permit healthcare providers and other stakeholders to submit requests for specific waivers of certain healthcare...more
Year-end COVID-19 relief legislation approved by Congress established Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) as a new Medicare provider type effective January 1, 2023. REHs, defined as providers that furnish certain outpatient...more
1/6/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Provider Payments ,
Reimbursements ,
Relief Measures ,
Rural Health Care Providers
You won’t want to miss four days of exclusive, virtual events that bring together industry leaders, emerging standouts, innovators and investors from across the industry landscape at the largest healthcare investment...more
1/6/2021
/ Business Development ,
Business Disruption ,
Business Strategies ,
Collaboration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Digital Health ,
Funding Arrangements ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Technology ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Innovation ,
Investors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Life Sciences ,
Physicians ,
Private Equity ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Webinars
You won’t want to miss four days of exclusive, virtual events that bring together industry leaders, emerging standouts, innovators and investors from across the industry landscape at the largest healthcare investment...more
1/6/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Digital Health ,
Funding Arrangements ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Innovation ,
Investors ,
Joint Venture ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Life Sciences ,
Partnerships ,
Physicians ,
Private Equity ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) ,
Webinars
You won’t want to miss four days of exclusive, virtual events that bring together industry leaders, emerging standouts, innovators and investors from across the industry landscape at the largest healthcare investment...more
1/6/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Biopharmaceutical ,
Business Valuations ,
Buyers ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Digital Health ,
Funding Arrangements ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Technology ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Innovation ,
Investors ,
Life Sciences ,
Liquidity ,
Mergers ,
Partnerships ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Physicians ,
Private Equity ,
Sellers ,
Telehealth ,
Webinars
You won’t want to miss four days of exclusive, virtual events that bring together industry leaders, emerging standouts, innovators and investors from across the industry landscape at the largest healthcare investment...more
1/6/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Digital Health ,
Funding Arrangements ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Innovation ,
Investors ,
Life Sciences ,
Physicians ,
Private Equity ,
Webinars
On September 28, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality, Safety and Oversight Group memorandum (QSO-20-41-ALL) (the QSO Memo) reinforcing and clarifying the testing exercises required by...more
On August 17, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a memo to State Survey Agency Directors (QSO-20-35-ALL) the resumption of certain routine surveys and inspections of healthcare providers...more
8/20/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CLIA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Inspections ,
Nursing Homes ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Plan of Correction ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Suppliers ,
Surveys
In an announcement welcomed by many healthcare providers, on July 23, 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that the COVID-19 public health emergency would be extended 90 days, through October 23,...more
On July 20, 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance focused on federal financial assistance recipients’ compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act...more
Since the early stages of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, long term care facilities (LTCFs) have been an epicenter of transmission. Medicare Requirements for Participation for LTCFs include an obligation to establish and...more
6/9/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicare ,
Nursing Homes ,
Quality Control Plan ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Safety and Oversight Group (QSO) ,
Surveys
As hospitals and healthcare facilities move toward an uneasy “new normal” and move to re-initiate services and procedures, accrediting organizations will also be ramping up their operations to pre-pandemic levels. However,...more
In light of recent civil unrest within the United States, which has been accompanied by incidents of property damage and large crowd actions, hospitals and healthcare facilities should consider reviewing and ensuring that...more