With the proliferation of precision and individualized medicine, genetic testing and counseling will likely remain on the radar of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Department of Justice for years to come. Biopharma companies and manufacturers must carefully consider the facts and safeguards applicable to any sponsored
New Law Allows Experienced NPs to Practice Independently in NY
New York’s 2023 state budget, signed into law on April 9, included an amendment to the state’s Education Law establishing 3,600 practice hours as a threshold beyond which nurse practitioners no longer require a collaborative agreement or a collaborative relationship with a physician to practice within their educational and clinical practice area. Practitioners such as
GAO Recommends that CMS Review Effects of Telehealth on Quality of Care
In a report published on March 31, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) begin to collect and analyze information about any effect telehealth has on the quality of care for Medicaid beneficiaries. CMS does not currently collect or analyze this information, nor does it have
NJ Temporary License Program Extended for Out-of-State Practitioners
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs established a Temporary Emergency Reciprocity License (TERL) program to give emergency licenses to healthcare practitioners from states outside of New Jersey. The TERL program had been extended multiple times and was set to expire on January 11, 2022.
However, on January
Bipartisan Bill Proposes to Permanently Expand Certain Telehealth Services
Many of the changes to telehealth requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic on both the federal and state levels were intended to be temporary, as previously discussed here. Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress introduced the Telehealth Extension Act, which would, among other things, eliminate the requirement that patients live in a
2022 Medicare PFS Extends Telehealth Services Expansion
The 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule released on November 2 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added certain services to the Medicare telehealth services list through December 31, 2023. Last year, we wrote about temporary “Category 3” services that were added to the Medicare services list for the duration of