Category Archives: Legal News

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Mandatory COVID Vaccine for Healthcare Workers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most institutional care settings.  A copy of the CMS press release can be found at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-issues-emergency-regulation-requiring-covid-19-vaccination-health-care. This rule applies to those facilities subject to CMS regulations. Several facilities are regulated by the CMS, but this does … Continue Reading

Tucker Arensberg Attorneys to Speak at the PBI Health Law Institute

Tucker Attorneys Mike Cassidy and Jerry Russo have been named as presenters for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) 2022 Health Law Institute. They will be presenting a program entitled “Federal Telehealth Enforcement: Policy Through Prosecution”.  Stay tuned for more information on this PBI Health Law Institute program as the date draws nearer.… Continue Reading

Mike Cassidy Appointed Legal Advisory Group Member of the National Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law

Congratulations to Mike Cassidy on his recent appointment as a Member of the Legal Advisory Group of the National Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL).  Mike will co-present on behalf of CTeL, in a webinar entitled “The Myths about Telehealth–Hear the Facts”, at CTel’s Digital Health Summit in December. Click this link for more … Continue Reading

Ongoing Federal Telehealth Fraud Enforcement

In previous Med Law Blog posts, we have featured examples of increased enforcement in the telehealth area, including the recent creation of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, announced by the Department of Justice on September 30, 2020, and OIG Takedowns in the DME and telehealth arenas. Now, the OIG work plan includes at least … Continue Reading

Medical Practices Face Liability for COVID Accelerated and Advance Payments and PPP Loans

Medical practices are now beginning to encounter Medicare payment claw backs by CMS for COVID Accelerated and Advanced Payments (CAAP) and Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecution for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) abuses. Please check the following links below for additional information. Justice Department Takes Action Against COVID-19 Fraud: Justice Department Takes Action Against COVID-19 Fraud … Continue Reading

Potential Federal Action Regarding Surprise Billing

Recent reports indicate that House and Senate Committee leaders have apparently mutually agreed on a bipartisan arrangement for correcting or preventing surprise medical bills, although legislation has not yet been passed. Attached is an outline of the “No Surprise Act”, which essentially deals with insured patients receiving unexpected bills for medical services. Note that this … Continue Reading

COVID-19 Physician Private Practice Guidance

I. Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic presents all physicians, but especially private practice physicians, with numerous clinical, liability and business challenges. We have chosen the following categories to organize and present recommended guidance and linked resources for your information: 1. Clinical Guidance 2. Malpractice Liability 3. Reimbursement 4. Employer/Workers Compensation 5. Telehealth II. Clinical Guidance. Many … Continue Reading

Workers’ Compensation Claims for Healthcare Professionals Exposed to COVID-19 in PA – Updated March 17, 2020

Just a few short weeks ago, the Center for Disease Control’s Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases warned that the spread of coronavirus in the U.S. was “not a question of if, but when.”  As of this updated posting, the entire country is locked in an unprecedented grip of uncertainty and … Continue Reading

Tucker Arensberg Attorneys to speak at the PBI Health Law Institute in March 2020

Tucker Arensberg is pleased to be a gold sponsor of the 26th Annual Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) Health Law Institute taking place from March 11–12, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA. Jerry J. Russo, Chair of the White Collar Criminal Defense Group and Kathleen A. Nandan, a former litigator with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New … Continue Reading

Telehealth Update: Connect for Health Act

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2019.  A summary produced by that bipartisan group is attached. If enacted, the CONNECT for Health Act solutions would be as follows: Create a bridge program to help providers transition to the goals … Continue Reading

Hospital Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Rule That Would Require Them To Disclose Prices Given To Insurers

Click on the link to an article published in the New York Times (12/4, Abelson) reporting the American Hospital Association and other hospital groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration “over a new federal rule that would require them to disclose the discounted prices they give insurers for all sorts of procedures.” The hospital groups … Continue Reading

Trump Administration Announces Historic Price Transparency Requirements

Attached are links to the CMS Press Release and the Trump Executive Order on Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First. The Trump Executive Order was first issued on June 21, 2019. The CMS Press Release indicates action on two rules. First, the “proposed” transparency and coverage rule would require … Continue Reading

Anti-Kickback EHR and Cybersecurity Safe Harbor

As another part of the Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care, OIG proposed revisions to the existing EHR Anti-Kickback Safe Harbor and added a cybersecurity component. The initial EHR Safe Harbor was developed in response to President George W. Bush’s 2004 initiative to extend EHR nationwide within 10 years, i.e. 2014.  The proponents of those EHR … Continue Reading
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