August 24, 2021 MARI DEVEREAUX
Most private insurers are no longer waiving cost sharing for COVID-19 treatment due to the widespread availability of vaccines rendering the illness largely preventable.
Molina wins four-year Nevada Medicaid contract
August 17, 2021 MICHAEL BRADY
Nevada awarded Molina Healthcare a Medicaid managed care contract, the company announced Tuesday.
Orthopedic Clinic Pays $1.5 Million to Settle Systemic Noncompliance with HIPAA Rules
September 21, 2020 Athens Orthopedic Clinic PA (“Athens Orthopedic”) has agreed to pay $1,500,000 to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and to adopt a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. […]
OCR Settles Five More Investigations in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative
September 15, 2020 OCR Settles Five More Investigations in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces that it has settled five more investigations in its HIPAA Right of Access Initiative this year. OCR announced this initiative as an enforcement priority […]
New Medicare Advantage payment methodology could take hold in 2022
September 14, 2020 SHELBY LIVINGSTON CMS on Monday pitched changes to Medicare Advantage payments for 2022 that would complete a multiyear phase-in of a new payment methodology in which plan payments are adjusted using diagnoses solely from encounter data, which is information created by healthcare providers about patients’ medical conditions and treatment. In 2022, the […]
CMS threatens to withhold funds from providers skirting COVID-19 requirements
August 25, 2020 GINGER CHRIST CMS on Tuesday strengthened its COVID-19 testing and reporting requirements for nursing homes, hospitals and labs, warning the providers could get fined or have funding withheld if they don’t comply. Under the interim rule, nursing homes need to routinely test staff and test residents whenever there is an outbreak. The frequency […]
Maria Nutile named 2021 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Las Vegas Area
For Immediate Release August 2020 Maria Nutile named 2021 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Las Vegas Area LAS VEGAS, NV (August 2020) – Nutile Law attorney Maria Nutile was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” for Health Care Law in the Las Vegas area. Only a single […]
Summer 2020 OCR Cybersecurity Newsletter
August 25, 2020 Making a List and Checking it Twice: HIPAA and IT Asset Inventories The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities and business associates to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all electronic protected health information (ePHI) that it creates, receives, maintains, or transmits.1 Conducting a risk analysis, which is an accurate and […]
HHS officially renews public health emergency for COVID-19
July 23, 2020 RACHEL COHRS HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday officially extended the COVID-19 public health emergency designation for another 90 days. Significant funding and regulatory relief for hospitals and other healthcare providers are tied to the emergency, which was set to expire on July 25. Lobbyists and healthcare industry players were concerned that […]
Provider-relief grant-spending reports due in February 2021
July 22, 2020 RACHEL COHRS Healthcare providers will be required to account for how they spent COVID-19 relief grants by February 2021, HHS quietly announced on Monday. When lawmakers established the $175 billion Provider Relief Fund, one of the stipulations was that healthcare providers receiving large grants would have to submit quarterly reports to HHS […]