On May 1, 2020, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) published its final rule implementing certain provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures Act”). The final rule has two areas of focus—implementing certain certification requirements […]
Health Law Alert
When Will Section 1135 Waivers End and What Should Providers be Doing?
Providers across the country have, out of necessity, had to rely on Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary Alex Azar’s Section 1135 waivers of certain Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and Stark rules in order to adapt their operations to the sudden and dislocating demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. In […]
First HIPAA Settlement of 2020 – A Reminder to Providers Large and Small
On March 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced the first HIPAA enforcement act of 2020. The medical practice of Stephen A. Porter, M.D. agreed to pay $100,000 and adopt a corrective action plan in response to an OCR investigation into […]
OFCCP Federal Contractor Update
Despite the uncertainty that the COVID-19 crisis has brought to our workplaces, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) appears to be operating at near to full strength, issuing several new forms, directives, and programs in the last few months. Let’s get caught up. OFCCP Issues New Disability Self-Identification […]
FAQs From HHS Provide Guidance on Provider Relief Fund Distributions Under The CARES Act
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has been continually updating a helpful Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQ”) document on its website for hospitals and other health care providers that received payments from HHS’s Provider Relief Fund. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”; Pub. L. […]