2007

Posted by: Lisa Ventresca

As posted previously, Tucker Arensberg is now offering immigration law services. As such, our firm strongly believes that the 2008 H1B Temporary Worker Visa Cap will be closing in early April 2008, shortly after the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) begins accepting petitions on April 1, 2008. If your organization desires to hire a foreign national in a specialty occupation (those occupations requiring a Bachelor’s degree or higher) for 2008, you will needContinue Reading H1B Visa Applications for 2008

During the period of October 2005 through September 2006, doctors’ offices received 156 citations for bloodborne pathogen violations resulting in $51,064 in fines. (http://www.osha.gov). Additionally, during that same period general medical and surgical hospitals received 118 citations while nursing care facilities received 344 citations (http://www.osha.gov). 
Continue Reading Bloodborne Pathogen Standard Compliance Resources

Health Plan Subrogation –   In the News

            By Joni L. Landy, Esq.  

In a nutshell, subrogation is the right of a health plan to recover money it paid out for medical care to treat injuries or conditions caused by another party. For example, subrogation may apply when a participant sustains injuries as a result of a slip and fall on a slippery sidewalk, or may apply if a participant is injured by another driver in a car accident. If the participant sues the party that caused his injuries and recovers, the health plan gets paid back from the recovery. Subrogation rights are typical provisions in health plans.   Continue Reading Health Plan Subrogation – In the News

The Medicare Anti-Markup provisions for diagnostic tests, which will be effective as of January 1, 2008, are intended to prevent physicians or other medical suppliers from purchasing either the professional component (PC) or technical component (TC) of any diagnostic test (excluding clinical laboratory tests subject to separate restrictions) and profiting or marking up the acquisition cost by billing globally in accordance with the fee schedule.Continue Reading The New Medicare Anti-Markup Diagnostistic Test Results

2008 MEDICARE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE DELAYS STARK RULES

CMS announced in the 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule that the following proposed revisions will not be finalized until the future publication of a final rule:

§                     burden of proof;

§                     obstetrical malpractice insurance subsidies;

§                     unit of service (per click);

§

HIGHMARK  ANNOUNCES AMBULATORY SURGERY  CENTER

ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS

In the October 2007 PRN, Highmark announced that, as of January 2008, it will require freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) to be accredited by one of three accrediting bodies, i.e., the Joint Commission, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare ("AAAHC"), or the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory