In the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued new guidance to address patient privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for those seeking reproductive health care services. This article discusses the guidance, which states that HIPAA allows providers to disclose certain protected health information (PHI), which includes information relating to one’s abortion or other reproductive care, without patient authorization only in specific circumstances that are “narrowly tailored to
protect the individual’s privacy and support their access to health services.”
Any entities that plan to invest or are already invested in digital health companies, entities that contract with them, or providers that offer in-house telehealth modalities must be aware of the significant regulatory oversight the industry faces. This article discusses the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General's Special Fraud Alert published on July 20, 2022, which was the same day the US Department of Justice announced a massive fraud takedown, targeting telemedicine providers and physicians that netted criminal charges against 36 defendants in schemes that allegedly defrauded the government out of more than $1.2 billion.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as part of 2023 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, has proposed significant revisions to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The revisions to the MSSP in the proposed rule (the Rule) are designed to address the lack of growth in beneficiary participation in the MSSP and the fact that higher spending beneficiary populations, and racial and minority beneficiaries are increasingly underrepresented in the MSSP. Read this article by Foley & Lardner to learn more about the proposed revisions to the MSSP.
Check out this Foley & Lardner article detailing the steps California is taking to ensure access to abortion care in response to Dobbs v Jackson.
Read this article from Foley & Lardner to find out how President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act affects the healthcare industry.
On August 17, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a bulletin (Bulletin) to states addressing potentially inappropriate cost-based proposals and practices related to governmental ambulance providers in the delivery of ground emergency medical transportation to Medicaid beneficiaries (GEMT). Check out this article by Foley & Lardner detailing the CMS bulletin.
On August 15, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—in a bipartisan, 5-0 vote—issued a policy paper detailing its concerns with Certificates of Public Advantage (COPAs). Check out this article by Foley & Lardner article detailing the policy paper and the future of the FTC and COPAs.