In early December 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) finalized the local transportation safe harbor under the Federal anti-kickback statute (81 FR 88368). Health care providers of all types have long offered transportation to patients in need with the primary motivation being increased […]
Health Law Alert
Sixty Days Means … Sixty Days: Recent OCR Action Highlights the Need for Timely Breach Notification
on Tuesday, 7 February 2017 in
Health Law Alert: Kristin N. Lindgren, Editor
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently announced a settlement based on a covered entity’s failure to meet the breach notification timeline requirements set forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Breach Notification Rule (Rule). On January 9, […]
OIG Updates Threshold for Gifts of “Nominal Value”
on Friday, 20 January 2017 in
Health Law Alert: Kristin N. Lindgren, Editor
On December 7, 2016, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services updated the threshold for gifts of “nominal value” for Medicare beneficiaries from $10 to $15 per item and $50 to $75 in total for a patient on an annual basis. The Civil […]
Congress Extends Moratorium on Enforcement of Supervision Requirements for CAHs (Again)
on Friday, 13 January 2017 in
Health Law Alert: Kristin N. Lindgren, Editor
It’s déjà vu all over again. For the third time in as many years, Congress passed an enforcement moratorium on physician supervision requirements for critical access and small rural hospitals. Section 16004 of the 21st Century Cures Act—signed by outgoing President Barack Obama on December 13, 2016—extends the Centers for […]
HIPAA Breach Log: 2016 Breach Reports Due March 1, 2017
on Friday, 6 January 2017 in
Health Law Alert: Kristin N. Lindgren, Editor
With the end of 2016, covered entities must remember to file all breach reports with OCR. If a covered entity experienced a breach (as defined in the data breach notification rule) during 2016, the deadline for reporting the breach to OCR is March 1, 2017. Covered entities have 60 days […]
