On December 15, New York City issued clarifications to its prior vaccine mandate. As we advised here, the NYC Commissioner of Health previously ordered that, commencing December 27, workers must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to work for a private employer at a NYC workplace. Workers will then have
Medicare Telehealth Use Increased 63-fold in 2020
A study recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that the number of beneficiaries in the traditional Medicare program who used telehealth increased from 840,000 in 2019 to nearly 52.7 million in 2020. At the same time, the number of visits to doctors’ offices reimbursed under Part B decreased.
New NYC Mandates for Private Employers and Indoor Businesses
The New York City Council just passed a new COVID vaccination bill requiring paid leave for parents per child per injection. Additionally, businesses and employees in New York City are subject to new vaccine mandates effective December 27, 2021, based on a recent announcement by outgoing Mayor de Blasio.
The new bill requires New York
Updated Guidance for Visiting Loved Ones in Skilled Nursing Facilities
2020 changed the way family celebrated the holidays. This was especially true for families with loved ones in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). However, the 2021 holidays look like they will be brighter and visiting loved ones in SNFs will be easier thanks to new federal and state guidance.
On November 12, 2021, the Centers for
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
Updated Guidance: COVID-19, ADA, Vaccinations, Religious Exemptions and EEO Laws
On October 25, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new guidance and questions and answers regarding COVID-19 issues confronting employers and employees. The EEOC’s Technical Assistance is entitled “What You Should Know about COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act and Other EEO Laws.” This Technical Assistance also provides links
Recent Developments in Telehealth: For the Pandemic and Beyond
On Thursday, November 18, in the next installment of Rivkin Radler’s Healthcare Compliance Lunch & Learn series, Rivkin Radler Partner Eric D. Fader will present an overview of changes in the provision of telehealth services, and federal and state regulation of them, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. New rules and waivers that are
OCR Issues Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccination Disclosures and HIPAA
On September 30, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that it issued guidance to clarify that the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not prohibit businesses from asking customers, clients or employees to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status. OCR felt compelled to weigh in after chronic widespread ignorance of
COVID-19 Designated as a Communicable Disease under New York HERO Act
On September 6, 2021, New York Governor Hochul announced that the New York Commissioner of Health had designated COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to public health under the New York HERO Act (the “HERO Act”). This new designation requires all New York employers to implement workplace
HHS Awards $954 Million to Health Centers
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $954 million to 1,292 community health centers across the U.S. for capital improvements. The funds, to be provided by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under the American Rescue Plan Act, will advance health equity initiatives in medically underserved communities.
HHS’s press release