Hospitals, urgent care clinics, doctors’ offices — these are the places we go when we are sick and want to get better. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are the people who treat us, help us recover, and even save our lives in medical emergencies.… Continue Reading
On July 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced they were sending a joint letter to approximately 130 unidentified hospital systems and telehealth providers highlighting the agencies’ concerns about the use of tracking technologies on websites and mobile apps in … Continue Reading
Direct-to-consumer health and wellness applications are forewarned: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is proposing changes to the Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR), 16 C.F.R. part 318, that, if finalized, would cement the HBNR’s applicability to a broad swath of direct-to-consumer health and wellness applications (apps) and confirm that a breach of security includes not only … Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continues to prioritize the protection of consumers’ digital health information. The agency has demonstrated this commitment through enforcement actions against GoodRx and BetterHelp for sharing consumer health information for advertising purposes (see our blog posts on each respective action here and here), and in a post published by the FTC … Continue Reading
Following its February settlement with GoodRx, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has fired another shot across the bow in its ongoing campaign to protect consumers’ digital health information. Earlier this month the FTC announced a consent order with BetterHelp, Inc., an online mental health counseling service, to resolve alleged violations of the Federal Trade Commission … Continue Reading
The Biden Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 serves as a warning to all plan issuers and administrators that enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is a top priority for the federal government. The proposed budget reflects a substantial and sustained commitment to ramp up enforcement efforts, with specific … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced June 10, 2022 that it is producing a video presentation on “recognized security practices” as set forth in the recent amendment of the Health Information Technology for Economic Health Act (HITECH Act) and is seeking questions from the public that … Continue Reading
Healthcare facilities and other entities receiving federal financial assistance can breathe a little easier after a U.S. Supreme Court decision issued last week barring the recovery of emotional damages for certain discrimination claims. Many federal anti-discrimination statutes allow recovery for “emotional injuries” that include humiliation, trauma, mental anguish, anxiety, depression, and other non-physical symptoms a … Continue Reading
For the first time since 2013, on November 8, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) updated its Health Care Fraud Self-Disclosure Protocol (“SDP”). The updated SDP makes several important revisions and clarifications that directly impact providers and suppliers who seek to self-disclose potential violations of healthcare fraud statutes … Continue Reading
The wait is over for employers seeking clarity on the details of the Biden Administration’s vaccine and testing rules for private employers, first announced by President Biden in early September and now slated to take effect alongside federal contractor vaccine requirements on January 4, 2022. The first rule, issued by the Occupational Safety and Health … Continue Reading
If you still have unvaccinated workers in January, might you provide a financial incentive for employees to be vaccinated, by charging them higher healthcare insurance premiums? That is the question facing exhausted but dedicated corporate Human Resources leaders as they approach annual open enrollment season, in which employees are asked to lock in their 2022 … Continue Reading
Hospitals and medical groups that bar staff from communicating with the media should take another look at those prohibitions following a recent federal appellate decision finding such a policy unlawful under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Multiple news accounts have detailed incidents where doctors and nurses were disciplined or fired for speaking out about … Continue Reading
The Florida medical community was left concerned and confused by the passage of the original 2020 pelvic examination law. As we discussed in our past blog, practitioners believed the law was overly burdensome, and they were unsure how to implement it. Senator Lauren Book’s new bill, SB 716, sought to make consent clear through an … Continue Reading
In early July, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (Labor), and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released an interim final rule related to the No Surprises Act, legislation designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills. The … Continue Reading
The media has widely reported that several governmental, non-profit, and private organizations, including entities in the healthcare sector, are offering a variety of incentives to encourage more individuals to take the COVID-19 vaccine. While this approach may increase the number of vaccinated individuals, it can also implicate the healthcare fraud and abuse laws when Federal … Continue Reading
On March 12, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) designed to significantly reduce worker exposure to COVID-19 by targeting industries and worksites where employees may have a high frequency of close-contact exposures. The new NEP on COVID-19 has two main components: 1. Increases OSHA inspections of … Continue Reading
Cyberattacks against healthcare providers accounted for 79% of all reported data breaches in 2020. (See here). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) responded last month by releasing a comprehensive guide to protect providers against this growing vulnerability entitled “Healthcare System Cybersecurity Readiness … Continue Reading
Good news is here for healthcare providers worried about being left out of COVID-19-related liability protections during the 2021 Florida Legislative Session! The Republican-led Legislature, supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, is upholding its commitment to protect businesses, including healthcare providers, from frivolous lawsuits filed because of exposure to COVID-19. While only a Senate-version of legislation … Continue Reading
Anyone who interacts with third party payors encounter acronyms on a regular basis. While acronyms are intended to facilitate efficient communication, their use often instead leads to confusion. This blog is intended to provide a brief overview of some commonly used acronyms in managed care. Please note that, although some of the acronyms are specifically … Continue Reading
Data collected during the coronavirus pandemic shows a disturbing trend of inequities in testing and treatment for COVID-19 among people of color. On July 20, 2020 the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Bulletin for healthcare providers, hospitals, and state and local agencies that receive Federal financial … Continue Reading
Florida has been contemplating ways to increase patient access to care, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipated increase in cases. Recognizing the accessibility of pharmacies, Florida is now authorizing certain qualified pharmacists to perform testing, screening, and treatment of nonchronic diseases and specific treatment of certain chronic conditions.… Continue Reading
