Hospitals and health systems are facing consumer demand for innovation, the need to expand and enhance streams of revenue and the push for improved quality, all while navigating changing regulations, federal enforcement,...more
2/6/2020
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CMIA ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
No-Poaching ,
OCR ,
Popular ,
Ransomware
A few days before Thanksgiving, the news media published an internal memo by the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (Department) to officials at the Centers for Medicare and...more
12/6/2019
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Azar v Allina Health Services ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Local Coverage Determination (LCD) ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part C ,
New Guidance ,
Notice and Comment ,
OGC ,
Overpayment ,
Provider Payments ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SCOTUS ,
Social Security Act
On September 10, 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule (Final Rule) expanding Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program...more
10/1/2019
/ Affiliates ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Comment Period ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Document Retention Policies ,
Enrollment ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Opt-Outs ,
Physicians ,
Public Comment ,
Reporting Requirements
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released proposed updates to payment rates and regulations applicable to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System for Calendar Year 2020, including proposals...more
The US District Court for the District of Columbia recently held that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) exceeded its authority by reducing Medicare payment rates for 340B drugs, but, because of the...more
On October 25, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with Comment (ANPRM) proposing to implement an international pricing index (IPI) model for Medicare...more
On November 1, 2017, the US Department of Health and Human Services released a Final Rule implementing a payment reduction for most covered outpatient drugs billed to Medicare by 340B-participating hospitals from the current...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released guidance on September 6, 2017, intended to clarify the definition of “hospital.” The guidance provides factors that may be considered to determine whether a hospital is...more
As part of the CY 2018 proposed updates to the Medicare Hospital OPPS, the US Department of Health and Human Services has proposed to decrease Medicare Part B payments to hospitals for 340B drugs by almost 30 percent. The cut...more
On December 7, 2016, the US Congress enacted the 21st Century Cures Act, substantial legislation intended to accelerate “discovery, development and delivery” of medical therapies by encouraging biomedical research investment,...more
1/21/2017
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Digital Health ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Hospitals ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Manufacturers ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
MedPAC ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Off-Campus Departments ,
Opioid ,
Patients ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Research and Development ,
Small Business ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth ,
Transparency
On December 19, 2016, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted a report examining the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) “2-Midnight Rule.” The OIG concluded that...more
On December 8, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON), which educates Medicare beneficiaries on the effect of outpatient status, particularly as...more
The 21st Century Cures Act encourages biomedical research investment and facilitates innovation review and approval processes, but also serves as a vehicle for a wide variety of other health-related measures, including...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the calendar year 2017 final rule implementing changes to the Medicare hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System, or OPPS, including provisions implementing Section...more
In Depth -
Background -
On July 6, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2017 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule, which includes proposed regulations to...more
7/12/2016
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Bipartisan Budget Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
MPFS ,
Off-Campus Departments ,
OIG ,
OPPS ,
Payment Systems ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Rules ,
Section 340B
In Depth -
The House Ways and Means Committee next week is expected to consider and approve the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act of 2016, legislation that would create broader exceptions under much maligned...more
On March 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule) entitled “Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance...more
On December 30, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final rule establishing a prior authorization program for certain durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS)...more
On October 28, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that, if enacted, would, among other things, substantially alter how and how much Medicare pays for outpatient services furnished by hospitals. The...more
10/30/2015
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Debt Ceiling ,
Federal Budget ,
Generic Drugs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
HRSA ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
OPPS ,
Pending Legislation ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physicians ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Rebates ,
Section 340B ,
Sequestration
In August 27, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the long-awaited and much-anticipated proposed 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B Program) Omnibus Guidance (Proposed Guidance). The Proposed...more
9/1/2015
/ Comment Period ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Draft Guidance ,
Drug Pricing ,
DSH Adjustments ,
GPOs ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
MCOs ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) ,
Section 340B
Among the proposed changes to Medicare regulatory requirements related to billing and coverage of physician services set forth in the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (the Proposed Rule), the Centers for...more
7/21/2015
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Nurse Practitioners ,
OIG ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Stark Law ,
Supervision
On July 1, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released proposed updates to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System for Calendar Year...more
7/8/2015
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Inpatient Billing ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC) ,
Medicare Part A ,
OPPS ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) ,
Two-Midnight Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued the federal Fiscal Year 2015 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule, which contains a proposal to implement new metropolitan areas...more
Hospitals gearing up for implementation of the “2 Midnights Rule” have more time to prepare—or consider joining efforts to modify or rescind the rule—now that CMS has delayed implementation for a third time....more
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget recently announced new Metropolitan Areas based on revised standards and 2010 census data. If adopted by Medicare, which they typically are, these changes would affect many aspects of...more