Following President Trump’s proclamation on March 13, 2020, that the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States constitutes a national emergency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Waiver or Modification...more
Responding to the COVID-19 national public health emergency, on March 13, 2020, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exercised the authority granted by Section 1135 of the Social Security...more
3/18/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
PHI ,
Popular ,
State of Emergency ,
Telehealth ,
Waivers
On November 15, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule requiring hospitals to make public a list of standard charges for items and services provided by such hospitals (the Rule). (The...more
11/27/2019
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Costs ,
Hospitals ,
Physicians ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health Service Act
On August 22, 2019, providers and other health industry participants involved in the provision of substance use disorder (SUD) services got some welcome news in the form of proposed regulatory changes. The U.S. Department of...more
9/4/2019
/ Comment Period ,
Confidential Information ,
Consent ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Health Care Providers ,
Information Sharing ,
Medical Records ,
Opioid ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
SAMHSA ,
Substance Abuse
Enforcement activity by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) showed no signs of slowing throughout 2018 and has already picked up speed in 2019. More recent and significant actions...more
4/25/2019
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Breach ,
Medical Records ,
OCR ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
PHI
August 24, 2018 marked a busy day for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) self-designated "Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care," an initiative aimed at dismantling the regulatory barriers to providers...more
9/7/2018
/ Alternative Payment Models (APM) ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
CMMI ,
Comment Period ,
Commercial Reasonableness ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
EHR ,
Fraud and Abuse ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Incentives ,
Medicare Shared Savings Program ,
OIG ,
Physicians ,
Public Comment ,
Request For Information ,
Safe Harbors ,
Stark Law ,
Telehealth ,
Value-Based Care ,
Waivers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started the year with a bang, issuing guidance on January 11, 2018, in support of Medicaid demonstration projects that condition coverage on beneficiary participation in work...more
1/19/2018
/ 1115 Waivers ,
Beneficiaries ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Work Requirements ,
New Guidance ,
Social Security Act ,
Trump Administration
On January 3, 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issues a final rule to implement modifications to the Confidentiality of Substance Use...more
During the recent 110th Regular Session of the Tennessee General Assembly, Governor Bill Haslam signed into law an amendment to the Tennessee Identity Theft Deterrence Act of 1999....more
On March 6, 2017, Republicans in the House of Representatives unveiled two bills that aim to repeal and replace the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bills, collectively called the American Health...more
3/10/2017
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Funding ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Penalties ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Repeal ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Tax Credits
On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a final rule (the Final Rule) modifying the federal regulations governing the...more
1/24/2017
/ Confidentiality Policies ,
Data Security ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Final Rules ,
Mental Health ,
Patient Privacy Rights ,
SAMHSA ,
Substance Abuse
On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act (the Cures Act) into law. The Cures Act addresses a wide range of healthcare topics including clinical research, treatment of mental health and substance...more
12/19/2016
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Barack Obama ,
Business Associates ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
EHR ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
New Legislation ,
OCR ,
OIG ,
Patient Access ,
PHI ,
Privacy Policy
On November 8, 2016, the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) became more uncertain. Republicans in Congress have been working to repeal the ACA since it was passed in 2010, and now, with control of...more
12/1/2016
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Cadillac Tax ,
Employer Mandates ,
FSA ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
HSA ,
Individual Mandate ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medical Device Tax ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Presidential Elections ,
Repeal ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Cuts ,
Trump Administration