Susan HuntingtonOn 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…
Two Weeks Until ICD-10 Deadline; Physicians Have Some Relief
Beginning October 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not accept ICD-9 diagnosis codes for dates of service after September 30, and…
Nearly Half of Healthcare IT Leaders Unprepared for Cyber Attacks
In view of recent highly publicized cyber attacks and the resulting financial, regulatory and reputational risks, healthcare organizations should be highly focused on cyber security.…
CMS Releases 2014 ACO Results; Is Experience the Sole Determinant of ACOs Performance Results?
On August 25, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released information on the 2014 quality and financial performance results for the accountable care…
CMS Bundled Payments Initiative: Will the Risk Pay Off?
On August 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that more than 2,100 participants in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative…
Comments Solicited on Draft Guide on Mobile Device Security
On July 23, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through its National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) published a draft step-by-step practice guide…
UCLA Breach Class Action: Caution for Connecticut Hospitals
A proposed class action filed in California federal court on July 20 (Allen v. UCLA Health Systems Auxiliary et al., case no. 2:15-cv-05487 in the U.S.…