Articles and Blogs

On September 30, 2021, the Departments of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Labor, and Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management (collectively, the “Departments”) published the second interim final rule implementing certain provisions of the No Surprises Act (“Part II of the IFR”). Part II of the IFR addresses key aspects of the No... READ MORE

NATIONAL 4 potential pitfalls lie ahead for OSHA’s vaccine mandate, say experts A look at the most expensive hospital projects this year CEOs share their views on the ‘Great Resignation’: 5 takeaways CMS overpaid $636M to ASCs, HOPDs for neurostimulator implantation surgeries, audit finds CMS penalizes 2,499 hospitals for high readmissions Designing the post-Covid... READ MORE

There are currently a number of restrictions regarding international travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to the blanket recommendation to advise your foreign national employees to refrain from departing the United States or they risk being abroad for longer than anticipated, which can ultimately affect their U.S. employment. This recommendation... READ MORE

As Hall Render detailed last month, President Biden announced the need for new COVID-19 vaccination rules. An Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) will require vaccinations or weekly testing for employees of employers with 100 or more employees. We also noted that CMS announced its intention to issue... READ MORE

The health care industry has experienced significant increases in cyber-attacks such as ransomware the past few years. One segment of the industry that may be impacted especially hard by these increased attacks is Critical Access Hospitals (“CAHs”). Due to the increasing number of cyber-attacks, insurance underwriting practices are shifting. Instead of virtually rubberstamping each application... READ MORE

Hall Render attorney Elizabeth Walker has been elected to serve a one-year term on the National Association of Bond Lawyers (“NABL”) Board of Directors. “I am excited to have the opportunity to serve on the NABL Board,” Elizabeth said. “NABL has been critical in my growth and development as a 103 lawyer, and I... READ MORE

NATIONAL 15 people in healthcare among Forbes’ 400 richest people in America 256 hospitals warned about violating CMS price transparency rule AMA recognizes 44 systems for clinician burnout efforts Healthcare has lost half a million workers since 2020 Hospitals have spent more than $3B getting PPE during pandemic Mayo, Kaiser rally 11 systems to... READ MORE

On October 7, 2021, five years after issuing initial draft guidance on its enforcement approach for hospitals and health system pharmacy compounding under section 503A of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “Act”), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) released revised draft guidance (“Draft Guidance”) that provides increased flexibility to hospitals and health... READ MORE

On Monday, October 11, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-40, requiring that employers provide exemption from any COVID-19 mandate for reason of personal conscience, religious belief or for medical reason, including prior recovery from COVID-19. These exemptions are broader than those required under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (for sincerely... READ MORE

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) released multiple key Provider Relief Fund (“PRF”) updates over the past four weeks, which include opening a new application for additional PRF funding. The new funding application process and other updates are discussed in more detail below. Practical Takeaways The applications... READ MORE