Health Law Alert

John Schmitt, M.D. was employed as a surgeon by Dakota Clinic from August 2002 through December 2004, when his contract was not renewed.  He was subsequently employed by MeritCare Health from June 2005 until he terminated his employment effective July 2005.  Dr. Schmitt contracted with a physician placement agency, which […]

For years, we have been tracking the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ (“OFCCP”) efforts to expand its jurisdiction to health care employers.  Generally, the OFCCP enforces regulations that require employers with at least 50 employees, who hold a single contract or subcontract of at least $50,000 […]

On August 15th, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report sure to add fuel to the continuing debate over Medicare payments to rural providers: “Most Critical Access Hospitals Would Not Meet the Location Requirements if Required to Reenroll in Medicare.” After digitally plotting critical access hospital (CAH) and […]

Health care providers and suppliers are well aware that they are living in a world of increased enforcement and that the Federal government has a growing arsenal of tools it uses to enforce the Federal health care laws and regulations.  The Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human […]

With increasing frequency, practitioners and health professional students request patient information and/or access to patients or patients’ medical records for purposes of research.  The requests are particularly difficult to address in small organizations without an Institutional Review Board (IRB).  They can also be difficult to handle because they may be […]