Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
+1.412.594.3915
lkim@tuckerlaw.com
The deadline for requesting a hardship exemption for the 2012 Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program adjustment is November 1, 2011. According to CMS, beginning in 2011, eligible professionals who are not successful electronic prescribers may be subject to a payment adjustment on their future…
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is publishing a series of articles on nationwide progress reports towards the establishment of health insurance exchanges. You can log onto their website for an update on all of the states, but I have attached a copy of the Pennsylvania report.
Contributed by: Lee Kim, 412.594.3915
The USPTO has updated its fee schedule effective September 26, 2011 following the enactment of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. There is a 15-percent (15%) surcharge on all fees.
Summary of changes:
http://www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/15_Percent_Surcharge_Fee_Changes.pdf
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a News Release describing how the Affordable Care Act Grants are working to help contain health insurance premium hikes. The Affordable Care Act earmarked $250,000,000 in health insurance rate review grants. This money is being awarded to states to allow them to do a variety of things to…
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
+1.412.594.3915
lkim@tuckerlaw.com
The America Invents Act has been signed into law by President Barack Obama today (September 16, 2011). The effective date for many provisions is September 16, 2012. Some provisions are effective immediately and still others are effective 10 days after the date of enactment.
The America Invents…
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
+1.412.594.3915
lkim@tuckerlaw.com
The America Invents Act was recently passed by Congress and it is expected that President Obama will sign this legislation into law when it is presented to him. Historically, the United States considers the first-to-invent as the person with rights to the invention. However, this Act is…
In Crow v. Penrose-St. Francis Healthcare System, a Colorado Appeals Court awarded attorneys’ fees to a hospital that successfully defended the claim by a physician seeking damages for breach of contract and torte claims.
The Colorado Rules of Civil Procedures authorized an award of attorneys’ fees when a trial court dismissed an action under…
US Patent No. 8,000,000 Awarded to Second Sight Medical Products for a “Visual Prosthesis Apparatus” that Enhances Visual Perception for the Sight Impaired
On September 8, 2011, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") will host a ceremonial signing Thursday for US Patent No. 8,000,000 entitled "Visual Prosthesis Apparatus" which enhances visual perception…
The Qui Tam process is designed to encourage and Whistleblowers or “relaters” to disclose illegal billing arrangements by paying a percentage of any recovery to the relaters for providing “confidential” information. The theory is that these individuals will be providing information with would not otherwise become available. A corollary to this theory is that relaters cannot…
A commonwealth fund supported studies reported some key findings:
1. Physician practices in the United States spent $82,975.00 per physician per year interacting with payers compared with $22,205.00 in Canada.
· If U.S. physicians had similar administrative costs to their Canadian counterparts, the total annual savings would be $27.6 billion dollars.
· U.S.
