September 20, 2018 Today, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that it has reached separate settlements with Boston Medical Center (BMC), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for compromising the privacy of patients’ protected health information (PHI) by inviting film crews on premises to […]
HHS Awards Over $1 Billion to Combat the Opioid Crisis
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded over $1 billion in opioid-specific grants this week to help combat the crisis ravaging our country. New data unveiled recently by HHS suggests that efforts are now yielding progress at the national level. Read the full article here.
Justice Department greenlights Cigna-Express Scripts merger
The U.S. Justice Department has approved the proposed $67 billion merger between health insurer Cigna Corp. and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, the companies announced Monday. Read the full article here.
Maria Nutile honored as “Lawyer of the Year” in Health Care Law
Maria Nutile was named the Best Lawyers® 2019 Health Care Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Las Vegas. This marks the third time in the past five years that Maria has been honored by her peers with this esteemed recognition. “Lawyer of the Year” honorees are based on extremely high overall feedback within specific practice areas […]
Guidance on Disposing of Electronic Devices and Media
July 2018 OCR Cybersecurity Newsletter: Because the technology and computer equipment that organizations use may contain components that store sensitive information, organizations should consider whether their process for disposing of electronic devices and media does so in a secure manner. Examples of such computer equipment include desktops, laptops, tablets, copiers, servers, smart phones, hard […]
Shorter behavioral stays save Medicaid money, but frustrate hospitals
The shift toward value-based payment in healthcare that countless advocates say will cut costs and improve the quality of care isn’t without its downsides. This week’s earnings show the evolution is weighing on some providers’ bottom lines. Read full article here
Presentation to PA Students at Touro University Nevada
Bridget Kelly, associate at Nutile Law, gave a presentation covering licensure, discipline, and employment contract negotiation to Dr. Weldon Havin’s Physician Assistant students at Touro University Wednesday morning, July 11th. Ms. Kelly focuses her practice on Health Care Law, providing comprehensive legal services in all aspects of health care transactions. Before attending law school, Bridget […]
Trump administration freezes risk-adjustment payments
The Trump administration is halting billions of dollars of payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act’s risk-adjustment program, a move that further disrupts the insurance market and could lead to more premium increases next year. Read the full article here.
2018 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, along with our state and federal law enforcement partners, participated in the largest health care fraud takedown in history in June 2018. More than 600 defendants in 58 federal districts were charged with participating in fraud schemes involving about $2 billion in losses to […]
Judge rules in favor of OCR and requires a Texas cancer center to pay $4.3 million in penalties for HIPAA violations
June 18, 2018 A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has ruled that The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules and granted summary judgment to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on […]