Category: Uncategorized

October 21, 2020 GINGER CHRIST On top of the mental and emotional pressures of being a healthcare worker during a global pandemic, caregivers also are feeling financially stressed, according to a new report. The TIAA Institute’s 2020 Healthcare Sector Financial Wellness Survey found that the financial condition of 45% of the healthcare workers surveyed had worsened since […]

October 08, 2020 TARA BANNOW  HCA Healthcare said Thursday it plans to return all of the $1.6 billion in federal COVID-19 relief grants it received to offset COVID-19 losses as well as $4.4 billion in Medicare accelerated payments. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA fared well through the COVID-19 pandemic. The for-profit hospital chain said it took a […]

October 7, 2020 The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces that it has settled its eighth enforcement action in its HIPAA Right of Access Initiative.  OCR announced this initiative as an enforcement priority in 2019 to support individuals’ right to timely access to their health […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]