Legislation and Public Policy

The New York Attorney General’s Office imposition of a $250,000 penalty on MVP Health Care for maintaining an inaccurate mental health provider directory riddled with “ghost” providers was recently discussed here. The problem, however, extends beyond New York. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued a…

As of September 30, several temporary Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic officially came to an end. One of the most significant changes involves the site requirement for telehealth services. Medicare beneficiaries can now only receive telehealth services other than behavioral or mental health services from specific originating sites…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a favorable Advisory Opinion for a non-profit foundation receiving donations from an affiliated company. The company in this case offers family-based therapy for children with a redacted “Disorder” (presumably autism), where the goal of the therapy sessions is to train…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has formally abandoned its effort to implement a nationwide prohibition on employer non-compete agreements, marking the end of one of the most closely watched regulatory battles in recent years. While the sweeping ban will not take effect, the agency has made clear that restrictive covenant practices remain firmly on its…

New York State’s Medicaid Home Care program pays for in-home personal care services. New York’s program has long been the best in the country.  One underlying policy behind the program was that people should have every opportunity to remain in the community.  A community focus provides two benefits: the social benefit derived from keeping people…

The U.S. Department of Justice recently issued a press release concerning a Statement of Interest that shields small businesses from being forced to provide medical coverage for gender dysphoria.

In Bernier v. Turbocam et al., the Plaintiff, who identifies as a woman and has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, claims denial of “medically necessary”…

While a 2024 poll indicated New Yorkers’ overwhelming support for New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act for terminally ill people (M.A.I.D.), the act had not been approved by the legislature each time it had been presented, despite support from the New York State Bar Association, the American College of Legal Medicine, the New York…

On July 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the formation of the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group to strengthen “their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas” in combating healthcare fraud. The two agencies cited the long history of partnership between them in enforcing…

Last month, the head of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Matthew R. Galeotti, issued a Memorandum outlining DOJ’s enforcement priorities and policies for prosecuting white-collar crime, identifying three core tenets to guide prosecutors: “(1) focus; (2) fairness; and (3) efficiency.”

Among the areas of focus listed, the Memorandum identified as…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a press release rescinding its June 2022 guidance concerning hospitals’ obligations to pregnant women under the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA). EMTALA is a federal law that requires hospitals to provide emergency care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

The…