The American Medical Association maintains a website for current information on healthcare reform – from a provider perspective.
Legal News
House Passes Legislation on Red Flags Rule
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
Contributed by Paul J. Welk
pwelk@tuckerlaw.com, 412.594.5536
On December 7, the House of Representatives passed S. 3987, the Red Flag Program Clarification Act of 2010. The Red Flags Rule requires financial institutions and creditors to develop and implement a written identity theft program. This legislation would exempt physical therapists and other health care providers from the…
Red Flag Program Act of 2010
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
On November 30, 2010 the U.S. Senate passed the Red Flag Program Act of 2010 (Senate Bill 3987 available at http://thomas.loc.gov/) which seeks to exempt certain health care providers from the Red Flags Rule. The bill will next be considered by the House. Please check back for future updates on this legislation.
Amendment to the Healthcare Reform Grandfathering Rules
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Uncategorized
On November 15, 2010, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services jointly issued an amendment to the interim final rules relating to status as a grandfathered plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. With the amendment, insured group health plans are now able to…
Immunity Provisions Of Medical Staff Bylaws Constitute Contract
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
In Kandel v. The Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Kandel sought an injunction against the Medical Center for reporting Dr. Kandel to the National Practitioner Data Bank after surrendering his medical staff privileges while being under an investigation. The Nebraska Trial Court granted a Motion for Summary Judgment by the hospital and the Nebraska Appeals…
Stark Imaging Self Disclosure Rules
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Fraud - Stark, Legal News
The 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule adds an additional requirement to the in-office ancillary services exception of the Stark Rules. New Section 411.355(b)(7) requires that providers of MRI, CT and PET services must provide a written notice to the patient at the time of the referral, advising that the patient may receive the same services from…
The 2011 Limits for Qualified Retirement Plans
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
As they do every year, the Internal Revenue Service released the dollar limits that apply to qualified retirement plans. There are three separate charts below that list the limits for 2011. The three charts are separated to identify the limits for: (1) defined contribution plans, (2) defined benefit plans, and (3) both defined contribution and defined benefit…
W-2 Healthcare Coverage Reporting Requirement Suspended for 2011
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
Contributed by Jo-Anne Mineweaser
jmineweaser@tuckerlaw.com, 412.594.3920
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires employers to report the aggregate cost of healthcare coverage provided to their employees on Form W-2. The aggregate cost is to be determined in the same way that the “applicable premium” is determined under the COBRA rules. This requirement…
The New American Health Care System: Reform, Revolution, or Missed Opportunity?
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
This symposium, sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, is taking place at Penn Law School in Philadelphia from Oct. 28-30. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested in advance. There is up to 12.5 hours of CLE credit available for this seminar.
For more information or to register, please click here.
U.S. Justice Department Challenges Most Favored Nations’ Clause of Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield Hospital Contracts
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
The Department of Justice has filed a civil anti-trust lawsuit against BlueCross/Blue Shield of Michigan alleging that the Most Favored Nations’ Clause (MFN) in their hospital contracts prevent other insurers from entering the market place and discourage discounts, resulting in higher prices for Michigan health care consumers. The state of Michigan has joined the lawsuit. MFNs generally…