Congress Passes Bill Allowing Group Exemptions From Meaningful Use Penalties
Susan HuntingtonThe Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act, S. 2425, passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on December 18, included a provision that…
Recent HIPAA Settlements Highlight Need for Risk Analysis
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWM) agreed…
Moodys: Threat of Cyber Breach Impacts Credit Risk
On November 23, Moodys Investors Service announced the issuance of a new report, “Cross Sector — Global: Cyber Risk of Growing Importance to Credit Analysis, which…
CMS Finalizes Two New Stark Law Exceptions
In its recently published 2016 Physician Fee Schedule Rule (the Rule), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized two new exceptions from the…
Advance Care Planning to be Reimbursed by Medicare in 2016
On October 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services…
NAIC Moves Toward National Cybersecurity Rights Standard Applicable to All Insurers
Health plans and clearinghouses are already subject to the privacy and security requirements of HIPAA, but under the Cybersecurity Bill of Rights adopted by a…
On October 6, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a “policy reminder” alert warning that…
ACO Fraud Waiver to Expire November 2; OMB Reviewing New Final Rule
In November 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), along with the HHS Office of Inspector General, published an interim final rule regarding…
New DOJ Policy Focuses on Individual Culpability
On September 9, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced new guidelines holding corporate employees, including executives, accountable for corporate wrongdoing. While the new guidelines…
Medicares Proposed Payment for Advance Care Planning Doesnt Go Far Enough
In its proposed 2016 physician fee schedule rule published on July 15 (the Rule), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed new separate Medicare payment…