On February 25, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies to “rapidly implement and enforce” federal healthcare price transparency regulations....more
Many healthcare organizations understand the importance of having a Compliance Committee but some struggle to use their committee effectively. The key to ensuring the Compliance Committee is effective is building smart...more
3/3/2025
/ Compliance ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
OIG ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management
Last month the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (OIG) released its first industry-specific compliance program guidance aimed at nursing facilities (both skilled and non-skilled)....more
Effective December 23, 2024, HIPAA-covered entities and their business associates will be required to comply with new restrictions on how protected health information may be used and disclosed for certain purposes relating to...more
Earlier this year, the US Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) released updated regulations governing the use and disclosure of substance use disorder records, referred to as “Part 2.” The Part 2 rules protect...more
On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which included provisions requiring the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) to better align the federal...more
Earlier this month, HHS unveiled updated Section 1557 regulations which will impact most healthcare providers, including for the first time Medicare Part B providers who do not participate in other federal programs like...more
Are you a health care provider who received funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration's ("HRSA' s") COVID-19 Uninsured Program? If so, more inquiries and repayment demands may be coming....more
On July 7, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Department of Human Services, and U.S. Department of Treasury (collectively, the “agencies”) launched an inquiry into high-cost specialty financial products...more
On December 2, 2022, Health & Human Services issued guidance (HHS) delaying the requirement that convening providers include co-provider charges in their good faith estimates for self-pay patients. Previously, the requirement...more
In 2020, Congress passed the No Surprises Act (NSA) in an attempt to protect uninsured patients from surprise billing. Some sections of the NSA became effective on January 1, 2022, while other sections are on hold until...more
9/2/2022
/ Billing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
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
The American Rescue Plan Act requires employers to subsidize 100% of the cost of COBRA and comparable state continuation coverage for “assistance eligible individuals” from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. The...more
3/12/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health Insurance ,
Subsidies ,
U.S. Treasury
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released updated reporting guidance for the Provider Relief Fund.
The updated guidance implements the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations...more
The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act passed yesterday includes language allowing health care providers to utilize Health & Human Services’ June 2020 guidance to calculate “lost revenues”...more
On November 20, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released long-awaited final rules revising regulations implementing the Physician Self-Referral Law (known as “Stark”). Simultaneously, the Office of...more
HHS announced that reporting instructions for providers who received CARES Act funds have been delayed. According to HHS, the instructions will be released after August 17, 2020 but well in advance of October 1, 2020, the...more
Last week HHS announced that health care providers who received general or targeted provider relief funds through the CARES Act may begin filing the required reports regarding the use of those funds on October 1, 2020....more
As guidance continues to change on the Provider Relief Fund payments made to health care providers, a number of providers have asked us about reporting and use of the funds.
Reporting Requirements -
Question: Do...more
On Friday, May 22, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it will allocate additional CARES Act funding to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to assist with COVID-19 related expenses and lost revenue.
Each...more
HHS announced earlier this week that it will distribute an additional $20 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to health care providers starting Friday, April 24. Providers who file cost report...more
The United States Department of Health and Human Services announced it is releasing $30 billion of the $100 billion Public Health Emergency & Social Services Fund. The funds will go to Medicare Fee For Service Providers in an...more
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act (CARES Act) contains numerous regulatory and payment reforms aimed at bolstering the health care industry and its COVID-19 response efforts. Although far from complete, the...more
In light of last week’s ransomware attacks overseas targeting hospitals and other providers, HHS is notifying providers in the United States of a warning issued by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)...more
HHS recently announced that it fined a dermatology practice $150,000 for failing to reasonably safeguard an unencrypted thumb drive and failing to conduct an accurate and thorough risk analysis of electronic PHI....more
This morning the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury Department released additional Frequently Asked Questions relating to implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Among the topics discussed...more