Publications

Although the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently relaxed Medicare hospital staffing requirements to allow qualified dietitians and nutritionists to order patient diets, state law still prevents these practitioners from practicing independently in Nebraska and Iowa hospitals. Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) previously permitted only the physician or […]

Note: The following questions are the second part in a series about patient portals. For last month’s article on patient portals click here. Q: How should information about patient portals and the functionalities/capabilities be communicated to patients? A: Each patient portal is unique in terms of how patients register and […]

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that when a collection suit is filed against a spouse-guarantor, the spouse-guarantor can assert violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”) and Regulation B as an affirmative defense. I. ECOA Prohibits Discrimination Based On Marital Status A. ECOA bans creditor from […]

On Friday, August 29, 2014, CMS published a Final Rule providing additional flexibility to providers who have had difficulties implementing 2014 Edition certified electronic health record technology (“CEHRT”). This rule adopts the proposed rule published May 23, 2014. Under the Final Rule, Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals and CAHs that could […]

Asset-Based Lending (“ABL”) can be a profitable business; however, this type of lending has some disadvantages and inherent risks that must be assessed and managed by banks to maintain a profitable model. Earlier this year, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”) issued the ABL booklet, which […]