On June 25, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid posted a request for information seeking public comment on reducing the regulatory burden of the Stark (self-referral) Law. The comment period closes August 24, 2018. Specifically, the request states: “[this request for information seeks input from the public on how […]
Health Law Alert
Recent Changes Affect Tax-Exempt Borrowing
Several changes to long-established tax law and guidance in the past year may restrict borrowers’ access to tax-exempt financing. Health care providers that are exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, or governmental subdivisions such as county hospitals, should be aware of these changes. When the corporate tax […]
It’s Happened Again! OCR Granted $4.3M Summary Judgment in HIPAA Enforcement Action
Recently, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) was fined $4.3 Million for HIPAA violations. Unlike many Office for Civil Rights (OCR) HIPAA enforcement actions that resulted in a settlement agreement, this case was not informally resolved and resulted in an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) requiring MD […]
Finally—All 50 States now have Data Breach Notification Laws
Alabama and South Dakota joined the other 48 states by enacting data breach legislation that requires entities (private or public) to notify individuals of security breaches of information involving personally identifiable information. South Dakota On March 21, 2018, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed SB 62 into law. While SB […]
Iowa Legislature Moves to Expand Access to Behavioral Health
In its most recent session, the Iowa Legislature took steps to address the statewide shortage of behavioral health services. It passed two laws intended to broaden access to services, and also authorized two work groups to review how the state’s existing behavioral health resources could be employed more efficiently. Those […]