Health Law Advisor

On Friday, November 30, Epstein Becker Green attorneys Frank C. Morris, Jr., and Adam C. Solander offered a one-hour webinar titled “The New Wellness Program Regulations, Part of a Webinar Series on the New ACA Implementation Regulations: Employer Impact.” The webinar discussed:

• the proposed regulations and the impact these regulations could have on your overall wellness strategy
• areas where employer comment is needed
• recent wellness litigation trends
• where EEOC fits in the picture

The audio recording and presentation slides for "The New Wellness Program Regulations" ...

Our colleagues Maxine Neuhauser and Amy E. Hatcher have written a client advisory: "Employer Posting Requirements Under New Jersey Law."

Following is an excerpt:

The list of employee notices that New Jersey employers are required to post has grown this year. Accordingly, as 2012 comes to a close, New Jersey employers should take some time to review the notification requirements relating to employees' workplace rights and responsibilities under state law.

Employers are mandated under New Jersey law to display official posters informing their employees of the law relating to ...

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, employers with employees and operations impacted by Hurricane Sandy are asking what types of tax and employee benefits relief may be available to them and their affected employees.  The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), the Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) have moved quickly to provide disaster relief guidance for affected employers and their employees.

IRS Relief.  In response to Hurricane Sandy, on November 2, 2012, the IRS in IR-2012-84 declared Hurricane Sandy a “qualified ...

Please join Epstein Becker Green’s Health Care & Life Sciences and Labor & Employment practitioners for a discussion of the recently released Employer Wellness Program regulations.

The Affordable Care Act created new incentives to promote employer wellness programs and encourage opportunities to support healthier workplaces. As such, HHS, DOL, and Treasury recently released proposed regulations increasing the amount of incentive a group health plan may offer a participant for participation in certain wellness programs

During this program, Epstein Becker Green ...

  The age and complexity of hospital real estate often result in zoning and land use issues that must be addressed in hospital M&A transactions.  In larger transactions, purchasers and their lenders frequently obtain zoning reports prepared by one of the national companies, which summarize existing code requirements and potential non-compliance by the hospital.  For smaller transactions, it is common for purchasers and their lenders to rely on a letter from the local Planning & Zoning office, which is often limited to confirmation of the zoning classification and whether there are ...

Epstein Becker Green is pleased to announce a webinar series for employers on the forthcoming rules and regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"). We expect the Administration to release a significant number of regulations in the near future which will directly impact employers.

EBG Health Care & Life Sciences and Labor & Employment practitioners, along with outside speakers, will provide in-depth analysis on proposed rules and regulations and how they will impact decisions that must be made by employers. The first webinar will take place on November 30.

Stay tuned ...

The recent discovery of a security flaw that allows Skype accounts to essentially be hijacked has again raised the issue of the security of web-based platforms—and whether providers can meet their HIPAA obligations when using these communication tools.  The issue of Skype and similar platforms and HIPAA compliance is one that I am often asked about.  In a previous post, I addressed the issue and concluded that providers who wish to use Skype or similar platforms proceed with great caution.  I noted that the use of web-based platforms, especially those that are proprietary, may make it ...

By Amy J. Traub, Gretchen Harders, Anna Kolontyrsky, and Margaret C. Thering

With the reelection of President Obama, it is clear that employers should be preparing to comply with all of the applicable provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (the “Affordable Care Act”).  As employers well know, the Affordable Care Act contains comprehensive healthcare reform provisions, including, among other things, the mandate that larger employers face penalties starting in 2014 if they do not ...

Kara M. Maciel, contributor to this blog and Member of the Firm at Epstein Becker Green, has released the "HR Guide for Responding to Natural Disasters."  Following is an excerpt:

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes have posed unique human resource challenges for employers. While many employers are working around the clock on recovery efforts, other employers find themselves unable to function for extended periods of time because of damage or loss of utilities.

The economic effects of a natural disaster will have long-term consequences on businesses ...

As telehealth continues to grow, there are a number of legal, regulatory, and operational issues that threaten to stall its progress.  We have tackled many of these issues in previous blog posts.  But no obstacle looms larger than the issue of payment.  How can providers get consistently and appropriately reimbursed by payers for use of telehealth?  Absent a clear answer, telehealth will likely find it difficult to fulfill its great promise—at least in the United States.  Other countries are pulling ahead.  Here is a look at the current reimbursement landscape facing providers and what ...