On May 10, 2023, the Center for Medicare & Medicare Services (“CMS”) issued guidance to clarify the definition of “marketing” for Medicare Advantage Plans (“MA Plans”) and Prescription Drug Plans (“PDPs”).[1] The new definition expands “marketing” to include activities intended to draw a consumer’s attention to an MA Plan or PDP, influence a consumer’s decision-making … Continue Reading
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency declarations effective May 11, 2023. As a result, many of the regulatory waivers and flexibilities available to health care providers, including the blanket waivers applicable to many Stark Law requirements (the “Stark Waivers”), will … Continue Reading
In January 2021, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) implemented the Price Transparency Regulations (“PTR”) which required hospitals to publish prices for all their services on their websites in a user-friendly format — improving consumer access to pricing information when shopping for health services. Since implementing the PTR, CMS has seen a significant … Continue Reading
In October 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) requested information from the public regarding its proposal to establish a National Directory of Healthcare Providers and Services (“NDH”). This proposal was a response to recent CMS data showing that nearly half of Medicare Advantage plan directories were inaccurate, despite CMS’s quarterly reporting requirements. … Continue Reading
A federal court decision has created a new wrinkle for healthcare employers that are preparing to comply with the new vaccine mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS). On November 29, 2021, Judge Matthew Schelp of the Eastern District of Missouri issued an order blocking the implementation of the CMS vaccine mandate … Continue Reading
Now that OSHA has issued its emergency temporary standard and CMS has issued its own emergency rule, the landscape has changed once again for healthcare employers in terms of addressing employees’ vaccination status. Fortunately, they now have much more certainty, which allows for more specific and detailed planning to address the myriad vaccination-related requirements that … Continue Reading
In follow up to our post last month, on Wednesday, December 2, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published final rules implementing many of the Stark Law changes first proposed in October 2019 (the Final Rules). These changes have been adopted to address the shift to a value-based and coordinated healthcare environment. The … Continue Reading
On Friday, November 20, CMS released final rules implementing many Stark Law changes first proposed in October 2019 (the “Final Rules”). This release comes despite earlier suggestions that these Final Rules may be delayed until sometime in 2021. Developed as part of the Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care program, the Final Rules represent CMS’s recognition … Continue Reading
On October 14, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it has expanded its list of telehealth services approved for Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). The eleven telehealth services CMS just added are for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. CMS approved them using an expedited process it unveiled in … Continue Reading
As we reported last October, CMS and the OIG issued proposed rules aimed at updating the Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and Civil Monetary Penalties Law as part of HHS’ Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care. In part, the proposed rules seek to address the current value-based and coordinated healthcare environment. While publication of final rules concerning … Continue Reading
Although nursing homes appreciate the recent release of $4.9 billion in financial assistance, the bullseye on them continues growing. Troubles that preceded the COVID-19 crisis have gotten worse for facilities caring for high risk seniors. They face scrutiny over death rates from COVID-19, as well as how they will use relief money.… Continue Reading
On April 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced new measures to support the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures build upon past regulatory changes we have discussed elsewhere (see, for example, here and here), and CMS hopes to achieve five objectives with these measures: (1) expand the healthcare … Continue Reading
As the White House looks to soon reopen parts of the United States, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its first set of guidelines for healthcare providers in regions that have seen stabilizing COVID-19 trends. The guidelines relax prior CMS recommendations that facilities limit and postpone non-essential care and elective procedures. … Continue Reading
Following up on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma’s statements on Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a press release announcing the immediate disbursement of $30 billion to Medicare hospitals and providers starting April 10. These payments have been or are already in the process of being … Continue Reading
On March 28, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an expansion of its Accelerated and Advance Payment Program (the Program). The Program is designed to help providers with “significant cash flow problems resulting from…unusual circumstances of the hospital’s operation.” 42 U.S.C. § 1395g (e)(3). Usually deployed during times of natural disasters, … Continue Reading
On March 30, in connection with the national COVID-19 emergency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued waivers (the “Waivers”) for certain provisions of the federal physician self-referral law, commonly referred to as the “Stark Law.” To ensure there will be sufficient capacity to handle the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS … Continue Reading
On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic a state of emergency, invoking section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207 (Stafford Act). On January 31, 2020, Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) Alex M. Azar II declared COVID-19 a public … Continue Reading
The government incentivizes whistleblowers in order to increase healthcare recoveries under the False Claims Act. See our analysis here of how the Act’s qui tam provisions work by Colin Jennings, Marisa Darden, and Ayako Hobbs. … Continue Reading
Once again, healthcare leads other industries for recoveries by the government and whistleblowers under the False Claims Act. Enforcement actions span the entire health care supply chain. See our report here in the Anticorruption blog.… Continue Reading
CMS said it plans to audit risk-adjustment payments that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans received based on having identified additional diagnoses in beneficiary medical chart reviews. CMS’s action was spurred by a recent report from the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) entitled, “Billions in Estimated Medicare Advantage Payments From Chart Reviews Raise Concerns.” (Click here … Continue Reading
As we discussed last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will start fixing calendar year 2019 underpayments made to hospitals for outpatient services at off-campus provider-based departments. CMS explained that it will be doing this in response to a court order invalidating CMS’s 30% payment cuts to such off-campus … Continue Reading
Yesterday, in response to a court victory by several hospital associations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will begin fixing calendar year 2019 underpayments made to hospitals for outpatient services at grandfathered off-campus provider-based departments (off-campus PBDs). CMS states it has instructed Medicare contractors to “automatically reprocess” claims paid at the … Continue Reading
On October 9, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released proposed rules (the Proposed Rules) aiming to update the Anti-Kickback Statute (the AKS), Stark Law and Civil Monetary Penalties Law (CMPL) to address today’s value-based and coordinated healthcare environment. The proposals reflect a recognition on HHS’s part that the healthcare landscape of today … Continue Reading
In a ruling on September 17, 2019 by Judge Rosemary M. Collyer, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated portions of a 2018 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rule that reduced Medicare payments for clinic-visit services at off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). By rulemaking, on January 1, 2019, CMS instituted … Continue Reading
