Articles and Blogs

This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services opened the registration and attestation system for the Medicare Meaningful Use Incentive Payment Program for 2016.  Eligible providers participating in the Medicare Meaningful Use Incentive Payment Program must attest to the 2016 Medicare Meaningful Use Program requirements by February 28, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST in order... READ MORE

On May 11, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (“DTSA”)1 into law. The DTSA’s stated purpose is to bring trade secrets disputes into the federal courts, changing the system under which trade secret law was governed mostly by state law. As part of the DTSA, employers who wish... READ MORE

On Tuesday, April 5, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released a new web-based tool for developers of health-related mobile apps. The tool asks mobile application developers questions about the mobile app’s function, the type(s) of data that the app collects and the service(s) that the app offers to end-users. The new tool then guides... READ MORE

On April 19, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) reached a settlement in the amount of $755,000 with a North Carolina orthopedic clinic (“Clinic”) for failing to execute a business associate agreement with a third-party vendor. This is OCR’s second settlement this year related to business... READ MORE

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced that the attestation deadline for the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program (“Meaningful Use Program”) is changed from February 29, 2016 to March 11, 2016. The new deadline applies to all eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Meaningful... READ MORE

For years, companies in the United States have relied on a Safe Harbor to the EU Directives (the stringent privacy requirements imposed by the European Union) to qualify for the ability to transfer protected data between EU countries and the United States. Today, however, the European Court of Justice ruled that the agreement between... READ MORE

Hospitals and other health care providers may be liable for fraudulent use of credit cards at their facilities effective October 1, 2015 if they do not upgrade their credit card terminals. The major credit card issuers have been busy issuing to all cardholders new chip-enabled credit cards (“EMV Cards”) to address the growing concern with... READ MORE

The American Hospital Association (“AHA”) released a “homestretch” checklist to help hospitals verify that they are ready for the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10.  The AHA recommends checking internal systems, verifying external partner readiness and consideration of financial protections.  This includes verification that their software applications have been appropriately updated to accommodate the transition.  The... READ MORE

On June 4 and June 10, the Rural Utilities Service will host webinars focused on the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program. These webinars will inform participants about the major eligibility and regulatory requirements of the program and provide detailed guidance on how to submit a successful grant application. Click here to learn more.... READ MORE

With the signing of Senate Enrolled Act 554, Indiana has joined the ranks of states adopting a telehealth parity law. Effective July 1, 2015, third party payors will be obligated to reimburse providers for telemedicine services on the same basis they would have had the health care service been provided via a face-to-face consultation.... READ MORE