On March 14, 2025, as part of a spending bill to avert a federal government shutdown, Congress extended COVID-era telehealth “waivers” applicable to Medicare until September 30, 2025. These were originally scheduled to end...more
On February 25, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients with Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information” (the 2025 Order). The...more
2/28/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Compliance ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Price Transparency ,
Trump Administration
In November 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) published the results of its audit assessing hospital compliance with the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule (HPT Rule)....more
On September 18, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a settlement with Dunes Surgical Hospital and United Surgical Partners International, Inc. (USPI), an entity holding a partial ownership interest in Dunes, in...more
On May 9, 2024, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act No. 24-6, “An Act Concerning the Reporting of Medical Debt,” (The Act). The Act prohibits health care providers from reporting medical debt to credit...more
On May 9, 2024, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act No. 24-4, “An Act Concerning Emergency Department Crowding,” (The Act). The Act requires all Connecticut hospitals with an emergency department to, no...more
5/20/2024
/ Connecticut ,
Data Management ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
New Legislation ,
Patient Access ,
Patient Safety ,
Regulatory Reform
On November 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule titled “21st Century Cures Act: Establishment of Disincentives for Health Care Providers That Have Committed Information...more
11/1/2023
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Information Blocking Rules ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda
On October 13, 2023, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion 23-07 (Advisory Opinion), in which the OIG issued a favorable opinion regarding a physician group employer’s proposal to pay bonuses to its...more
On July 25, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued an opinion in High Watch Recovery Center Inc. v. Department of Public Health that addresses the subject of the right to file an appeal of a certificate-of-need, or CON,...more
On July 25, 2023, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued an opinion in High Watch Recovery Center, Inc. v. Dept. of Public Health that addresses the subject of the right to file an appeal of a Certificate of Need (CON) decision...more
Connecticut Governor Signs Health Care Bill Revising Connecticut’s Facility Fee Law -
On June 27, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-171 entitled “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting...more
On June 7, 2023, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB6669, “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”), which includes a prohibition on certain contractual clauses in agreements...more
On June 7, 2023, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB6669, “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”). The Act implements legislative initiatives announced earlier this week that...more
On April 14, 2023, the Attorneys General of 18 different states sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita...more
4/27/2023
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Business Ownership ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Nursing Homes ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
State Attorneys General
New York Governor Vetoes Act Prohibiting Establishment and Expansion of For-Profit Hospices -
On December 23, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed Assembly Bill Number A8472 “An Act To Amend The Public Health Law,...more
1/6/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Elder Care ,
For-Profit Corporations ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospice ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
New York
On August 19, 2022, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion 22-16 (Advisory Opinion) in which it declined to impose sanctions for an arrangement under which the requestor provides gift cards to...more
9/13/2022
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Gift-Cards ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Incentives ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) ,
OIG ,
Remuneration
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a Data Brief summarizing the findings of a review of program integrity risks related to telehealth services reimbursed by...more
Health care providers subject to the Information Blocking rules issued under the 21st Century Cures Act, Pub.L. 114–255, are reminded that such Information Blocking rules will apply to an expanded set of information beginning...more
On August 19, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of the Treasury (DOT), released “Requirements Related to Surprise Billing: Final Rules” (the Rules). The Rules...more
8/26/2022
/ 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
On May 7, 2022, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget (HB5506) (Act) which implements the state budget and makes various changes to certain Connecticut statutes. Among the...more
On November 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued heavily anticipated emergency regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the...more
11/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On July 7, 2021 Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 21-135 (the “Act”). The Act, among other things, makes a revision to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) statutes allowing DDS regional or...more
On June 23, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 21-2 “An Act Concerning Provisions Related To Revenue And Other Items To Implement The State Budget For The Biennium Ending June 30, 2023” (PA...more
On May 10, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law “An Act Concerning Telehealth” (the “Act”). The Act extends, until June 30, 2023, many of the COVID-19 related telehealth expansions issued by Governor Lamont...more
HHS Publishes Significant Updates to Anti-Kickback Statute Safe-Harbors and Beneficiary Inducement CMP Regulations -
On November 30 and December 2, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector...more