Health Law Advisor

In February 2012, two years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") issued a proposed rule, which was subject to significant public comment, concerning reporting and returning certain Medicare overpayments ("Proposed Rule"). On February 12, 2016, four years from the issuance of the Proposed Rule (and six years after passage of the ACA), CMS issued the final rule, which becomes effective on March 14, 2016 ("A and B Final Rule").

The A and B Final Rule applies only to providers and suppliers under Medicare Parts A and B ...

The last year has seen a flurry of lawsuits and demand letters to health care and other companies, and even a variety of nonprofits, alleging that those entities have websites that are not accessible to those who are blind or have low vision and thus allegedly violate the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’(HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces nondiscrimination and accommodation obligations as to health care entities providing services to Medicare and Medicaid recipients with disabilities.  In an ironic twist, the ...

We recently wrote about the many failures of health insurance co-ops created under the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"), and the impact of those failures on providers and other creditors, consumers, and taxpayers.

As we described, nonprofit co-op insurers were intended to increase competition and provide less expensive coverage to consumers; however, low prices, lack of adequate government funding, restrictions on the use of federal loans for marketing, and low risk corridor payments from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created financial challenges for these ...

The top story on Employment Law This Week is the unfolding Zika virus crisis.

For the fourth time in history, the World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency, following the spread of the Zika virus throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The disease can have harmful effects on fetuses, and the CDC has warned against travel for pregnant women and their partners. The Zika crisis has important implications for employers. Workers who travel for their jobs may request accommodations, and employers should make them aware of the risks if they aren’t ...

The top story on Employment Law This Week is the unfolding Zika virus crisis.

For the fourth time in history, the World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency, following the spread of the Zika virus throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The disease can have harmful effects on fetuses, and the CDC has warned against travel for pregnant women and their partners. The Zika crisis has important implications for employers. Workers who travel for their jobs may request accommodations, and employers should make them aware of the risks if they aren't ...

Epstein Becker Green's Peter M. Panken and Frank C. Morris, Jr. have authored a post on the Hospitality Labor and Employment Law blog entitled, "Loose Lips Sink Ships: New Liabilities Under The Affordable Care Act."

Following is an excerpt:

The Affordable Care Act ("ACA") requires larger employers (50 or more full time equivalents) to offer "affordable" "minimum value" health care to employees working thirty (30) or more hours per week or face the possibility of significant penalties in some cases.  Thus the cost of staffing with part time employees may be far less than paying for ...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="110"] John M. O'Connnor[/caption]

Who knew that “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” the iconic rock anthem of 80’s hairband Night Ranger (YouTube video) is actually a rally song protesting religious discrimination??  On January 27, 2016, the EEOC filed a summary judgment motion in EEOC v. United Health Programs of America, No. 14-cv-3673 (E.D.N.Y. filed June 11, 2014), asking the Court to find that certain team building policies and practices implemented by the defendant employer, including a requirement that its employees tell one ...

One of the featured stories on Employment Law This Week is the EEOC's recent release of two different guides on the rights of HIV-positive employees.

The first guide outlines employees’ rights under the ADA. The second guide is for health care providers with HIV-positive patients. It encourages them to advocate for their patients' rights in the workplace. These documents are also valuable resources employers. Among other takeaways, they break down the process involved in a request for reasonable accommodation from an HIV positive employee.

View the episode below or read more ...

In a matter emphasizing the importance of neutral hiring policies, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed summary judgment in favor of a Kentucky hospital system that refused to hire two nurses who had restrictions on their professional licenses after they participated in a state-approved drug rehabilitation program.  The nurses alleged the refusal to hire decisions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the Sixth Circuit held that the evidence showed the hospital had a neutral practice of denying employment to nurses with current or previous ...

[caption id="attachment_2360" align="alignright" width="206"] Nathaniel M. Glasser and Daniel C. Fundakowski[/caption]

Last month, in United States ex rel. Helfer v. Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield, Ltd., No. 3:10-cv-03076 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 14, 2016), the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois held that the retaliation provision of the False Claims Act (“FCA”) requires a whistleblower to show that protected activity was the “but-for” cause of the alleged adverse action.

The FCA’s retaliation provision entitles an employee to ...