Health Law Advisor

While this column typically uses data visualizations you’ve probably seen before, I want to introduce one that perhaps you have not.  This is in the realm of text analysis.  When looking at FDA data, there are numerous places where the most interesting information is not in a data field that can be easily quantified, but rather in narrative text.  Take, for example, Medical Device Reports of adverse events, or “MDRs.”  While we can do statistical analysis of MDRs showing, for example, which product categories have the most, the really interesting information is in the descriptions ...

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently issued guidance clarifying protections applicable to consumers’ sensitive personal data increasingly collected by so-called “health apps.” The FTC press release indicated it has approved a policy statement by a vote of 3-2 offering guidance that organizations using “health applications and connected devices” to “collect or use” consumers’ personal health information must comply with the cybersecurity, privacy and notification mandates of the Health Breach Notification Rule (the “Rule”).

The ...

On September 30, 2021, the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (the “Board”) issued a revised set of rules that become effective November 1, 2021. These new and revised rules affect all new and some pending Medicare Part A provider appeals. These rules clarify several aspects of Board appeals and simplify some of the Board’s complex procedures.

The most significant change is the requirement that all submissions to the Board must be made electronically through the Office of Hearings Case and Document Management System (“OH-CDMS”) unless the provider or representative ...

In this column, in the coming months we are going to dig into the data regarding FDA regulation of medical products, deeper than the averages that FDA publishes in connection with its user fee obligations.  For many averages, there’s a high degree of variability, and it’s important for industry to have a deeper understanding.  In each case, we will offer a few preliminary observations on the data, but we would encourage a conversation around what others see in the data.

Chart

This is an interactive chart that you can explore by clicking on the colors in the legend to see how specific ...

In this episode of the Diagnosing Health Care Podcast:  On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the No Surprises Act as part of the $2.3 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act. Recently, the Biden administration issued its first interim final rule in order to implement this act, which will go into effect on January 1, 2022. While the goal is to protect patients from surprise billing, the law will also impose significant compliance burdens on plans, providers, and facilities.

Epstein Becker Green attorneys Helaine Fingold, Bob Hearn, and Alexis ...

Starting in 2022, Ohio will require owners of tax-exempt real property to notify the county auditor if the exempt property ceases to qualify for exemption.

This is a substantial departure from current law, which had left the role of monitoring changes in exempt properties’ uses to the county auditors or Ohio’s tax commissioner; under the new law, health care entities that own property in the state must determine whether or not their property continues to qualify for exemption.

Ohio’s recent Budget Bill – House Bill 110 – created the new reporting requirement, which will be ...

On September 15, 2021, CMS published a proposed rule that would repeal a final rule that created an expedited pathway for Medicare coverage of breakthrough devices and established formal criteria for applying the “reasonable and necessary” standard for coverage in Section 1862(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act, which has been the basic standard for coverage since the inception of the Medicare program.[1]  CMS has set a short period for comments, and interested parties must submit comments by October 15, 2021.

The new proposed rule reflects a significant policy change.  Where the initial rule focused on expanding access to new innovations, the current approach focuses more on Medicare program goals and outcomes data.

The New Jersey Department of Health (the “Department”) recently finalized regulations initially proposed in April 2020 that will now require all telehealth organizations providing telemedicine services to patients located in New Jersey to register their business with the Department before October 15, 2021, and annually thereafter.  In addition to annual registrations, telehealth companies will also be required to submit annual reports on activity and encounter data.

On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a guidance bulletin (the “Guidance”) to health care providers reminding them of their compliance obligations under California’s health data privacy laws, and urging providers to take proactive steps to protect against cybersecurity threats. This Guidance comes, in part, as a response to federal regulators sounding the alarm over an uptick in cybercrime against hospitals and other health providers. The Guidance follows an October 2020 Joint Cybersecurity Advisory issued by the Cybersecurity and ...

On August 30, 2021, the DOJ announced a $90 million dollar settlement with Sutter Health and affiliates[1] (“Sutter Health”) to settle False Claims Act (“FCA”) allegations brought by qui tam relator, Kathy Ormsby, related to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”) MA Program.[2] Sutter Health elected to settle with DOJ and the relator without an admission of liability. As part of the Settlement Agreement, the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) required Sutter Health to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement.