Articles and Blogs

Wednesday, May 20 Update Our Federal Advocacy Team is dedicated to providing frequent COVID-19 updates as they develop. Going forward, these updates will be distributed as developments warrant instead of nightly. These updates along with other resources can be found ​on the COVID-19 ​Resource ​Center page ​of Hall Render’s website​. Note – ​we believe this is... READ MORE

In a song titled “When the Man Comes Around” Johnny Cash sang that “there’s a man going round, taking names…and he decides who to free and who to blame.” How well hospitals and health systems document their blanket waiver arrangements in response to COVID-19 may dictate whether they are “freed” or “blamed” by CMS... READ MORE

Tuesday, May 19 Update Our Federal Advocacy Team is dedicated to providing frequent COVID-19 updates as they develop. Going forward, these updates will be distributed as developments warrant instead of nightly. These updates along with other resources can be found ​on the COVID-19 ​Resource ​Center page ​of Hall Render’s website​. Note – ​we believe this is... READ MORE

On May 11, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a policy memorandum providing temporary flexibility for physicians completing a J-1 waiver service obligation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy memorandum addresses the full-time work requirement and telehealth services for these physicians in light of the Public Health Emergency issued in response to the... READ MORE

States like Indiana, Connecticut and Maine are offering to pay nursing homes a higher per diem for COVID-19 presumptive residents or a higher percentage reimbursement rate if a nursing home qualifies as a “COVID-19 ready” facility, as discussed in our recent article here. As nursing homes assess, plan for and take actions to qualify... READ MORE

As COVID-19-related testing capabilities increase along with other kinds of desired laboratory tests, clinical laboratories are encountering heightened volumes resulting from rising demand for services. Recovery homes and clinical treatment facilities may also see heightened demand for services stemming from the COVID-19 fall-out. In addition to this demand, these entities may wish to promote... READ MORE

Friday, May 15 Recap Our Federal Advocacy Team is dedicated to providing frequent COVID-19 updates as they develop. Going forward, these updates will be distributed as developments warrant instead of nightly. These updates along with other resources can be found ​on the COVID-19 ​Resource ​Center page ​of Hall Render’s website​. Note – ​we believe this is... READ MORE

Wednesday, May 13 Recap Note – ​We believe this is the most up-to-date information available at this time, but it is subject to change ​as circumstances warrant. Also, all finalized resources can be found ​on the COVID-19 ​Resource ​Center page ​of Hall Render’s website.​ CMS Launches Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 in Nursing Homes... READ MORE

On May 11, 2020, CMS released the 2021 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (“IPPS”) Proposed Rule (“Proposed Rule”). Among other changes in the Proposed Rule, CMS is adopting updated labor market area delineations to take effect on October 1, 2020. Hospitals should review whether they are in a county that is affected by the updated... READ MORE

On April 30, 2020, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) announced its first criminal felony charge in an ongoing probe of the Florida cancer treatment industry. The DOJ alleged that from 1999 to 2016, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC (“FCS”) and unnamed co-conspirators conspired to allocate the... READ MORE