The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released template documents and model notices to help healthcare providers comply with the No Surprises Act, which was passed as part of the Consolidated...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2022 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule on Nov. 2, 2021,...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Nov. 4, 2021, issued a long-anticipated Interim Final Rule with comment (IFC) requiring COVID-19 vaccination for most healthcare workers at certain healthcare facilities...more
11/9/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
Enforcement ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
OSHA ,
Preemption ,
Supremacy Clause ,
Vaccinations
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and Treasury, along with the Office of Personnel Management, on July 1, 2021, issued a much-anticipated Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (IFC) –...more
7/6/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
OPM ,
Out of Network Provider ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
U.S. Treasury
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 17, 2021, ruled 7-2 that Republican states, led by Texas, lack standing to challenge the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the case of California et al. v. Texas et al., Justice Stephen Breyer wrote...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 27, 2021, released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment...more
5/5/2021
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Graduate Medical Education ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Shared Savings Program ,
Proposed Rules ,
Quality of Care Standards ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Rural Health Care Providers
The U.S. House of Representatives on March 10, 2021, passed the Senate-amended H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The ARP provides $1.9 trillion in additional relief to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)....more
3/11/2021
/ Agricultural Sector ,
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Broadband ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cybersecurity ,
Defense Production Act ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Economic Stimulus ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Native American Issues ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Pending Legislation ,
Popular ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
Relief Measures ,
Residential Leases ,
Residential Property Owners ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Small Business ,
SNAP Program ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Credits ,
Transportation Industry ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
In the first episode of our Public Policy & Regulation Group's "The First 100 Days of the Biden Administration" podcast series, Senior Policy Advisor Miranda Franco leads a discussion with attorney Robert Bradner and Senior...more
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Senate's 2021 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 5) on Feb. 5, 2021, laying the groundwork for the budget reconciliation process. Created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974,...more
On his first days in office, President Joe Biden is expected to sign a flurry of executive actions, some of which will reverse decisions made by his predecessor, President Donald Trump. The first few Biden Administration...more
1/26/2021
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Land ,
Masks ,
Medicaid ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
World Health Organization
President Joe Biden has proposed an "American Rescue Plan," which was described as an "emergency legislative package to fund vaccinations, provide immediate, direct relief to families bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis,...more
1/22/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Direct Payments to Families and Individuals ,
Earned Income Credit ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Federal Funding ,
FEMA ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Municipalities ,
OSHA ,
Relief Measures ,
Small Business ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Credits ,
Tribal Governments ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The victories by Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia elections mean that incoming majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will preside over the narrowest possible majority in the U.S. Senate under which...more
1/20/2021
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Most-Favored Nations ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Political Parties ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Final Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which contains updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The MPFS...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule. Note that the...more
12/9/2020
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Clinical Laboratories ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Physician-Owned Hospitals ,
Prescription Drugs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued four major rules on Nov. 20, 2020, which was the final day for the Trump Administration to issue a rule with a 60-day implementation period for it to take effect...more
12/8/2020
/ Amended Rules ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Public Comment ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Stark Law
A presidential race called by media outlets for former Vice President Joe Biden, coupled with a diminished Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and a narrowly divided Senate, translates into a federal...more
11/12/2020
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Federal Budget ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Judicial Appointments ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Presidential Elections ,
Public Policy ,
Regulatory Agenda
The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) included several provisions to accelerate the adoption and effective use of health information technology (HIT) and discourage information blocking. The Secretary of U.S. Department of...more
The Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System Final...more
On Aug. 25, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule (IFR) as an emergency regulation under the public health emergency (PHE). Under the IFR, CMS will require all hospitals to which...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Aug. 4, 2020, published the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Proposed...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Proposed Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which contains updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The MPFS...more
Before the pandemic, telehealth coverage was limited in scope. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently expanded coverage through its regulatory authority and waivers to encourage broad adoption of...more
Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), "covered entities," which were defined as health programs or activities that receive "federal funding" from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released on May 11, 2020, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment...more
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $200 million to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to support healthcare providers in the fight against the ongoing pandemic. On March 30, the...more