Articles and Blogs

On September 28, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced changes to its merger review process designed to increase the rigor of the review and “streamline” (in the FTC’s words) the interactions between the merging parties and the FTC. The announced changes will expand the potential topics covered during investigations, while also standardizing the... READ MORE

NATIONAL 18% of healthcare workers have quit jobs during pandemic: Morning Consult 90% of clinicians say patients would be offended to see what’s in their medical records ‘A total miscue’: Leaders react to the No Surprises Act CMS ‘getting pretty close’ to releasing details of COVID-19 vaccination mandate CMS unveils another surprise-billing rule: 12... READ MORE

Hall Render Shareholders have elected Gregg Wallander as their next President/CEO. He will officially assume the role of President/CEO on January 1, 2022. Gregg has practiced law for over 25 years and has been instrumental in helping health care clients interpret and respond to shifts in the health care landscape. He counsels health care... READ MORE

NATIONAL 7 CMS updates to know A top F.D.A. official moved on Monday to take over the agency’s vaccines office. AHA to CMS: Ensure COVID-19 vaccine mandate is ‘feasible,’ ‘fair’ CDC director recommends boosters for healthcare workers, despite panel’s vote CMS reevaluating hospital outpatient pay rate cut exemptions CMS reviewing mid-build exception denials CMS’... READ MORE

On September 14, 2021, HHS issued a ninth amendment (the “Ninth Amendment”) to the Declaration for medical countermeasures against COVID-19 (the “Declaration”) under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (“PREP Act”). This Amendment expands the scope of authority for licensed pharmacists along with qualified pharmacy technicians and interns relative to FDA-approved COVID-19 therapeutics.... READ MORE

For employers and workplaces that are operating entirely remotely, Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) have temporarily implemented a flexible solution to assist in complying with the requirements related to Form I-9 completion. The initial announcement on the flexibility in requirements related to Form I-9 completion was on... READ MORE

Effective September 1, 2021, employers in Texas are subject to two significant amendments to the state employment law: SB 45 and HB 21 to the Texas Labor Code expand sexual harassment protections for employees in essentially all workplaces. More Employers Can Now Expect to Receive Legal Challenges Previously, only employers with 15 or more... READ MORE

Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C., the largest health care-focused law firm in the country, continues to bolster its ability to support their clients with the addition of Danielle Bergner to its Milwaukee office. With more than 15 years of dedicated commercial real estate experience, Danielle brings a unique perspective informed by her... READ MORE

On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced sweeping requirements for COVID-19 vaccination that will require larger employers to mandate employees be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. Employees in certain health care settings will also be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. These requirements were addressed in President Biden’s new COVID-19 Action Plan, Path Out... READ MORE

On August 20, 2021, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”) announced through a set of frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) that the Departments will defer enforcement of certain provisions of the No Surprises Act (the “Act”). This comes as welcomed news for health plans and providers alike... READ MORE