A new federal hospital price transparency rule that took effect on January 1, 2021, requires hospitals to post all prices for services online in an easily accessible format. However, a report recently released by PatientRightsAdvocate.org found that 94.4% of hospitals were not in compliance with the rule, because one or more price transparency requirements were
Legislation and Public Policy
NY Department of Labor Issues Airborne Infectious Diseases Model and Standards for Worksites
The New York Department of Labor has issued Model Safety Plans and Standards for airborne infectious diseases. All employers, regardless of size and with a worksite in New York, must adopt a safety plan by August 5, 2021, and must post, distribute and include the plan in their handbooks to all employees and new hires…
Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Adds Coverage for Remote Therapeutic Monitoring
The proposed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule released on July 13 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes a new category of CPT codes for “remote therapeutic monitoring” (RTM). The new codes are in addition to the set of codes introduced in 2019 for remote physiological monitoring, usually called remote patient monitoring…
Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Includes Expanded Telehealth Reimbursement
The proposed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, released on July 13 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), includes expanded reimbursement for behavioral health services delivered by telehealth, including reimbursing providers for audio-only telephone calls. The proposed expansion would allow Medicare beneficiaries with mental health or substance abuse disorders to receive diagnosis,…
OIG: Hospitals Need to Improve Oversight of Cybersecurity for Networked Medical Devices
On June 23, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted on its website an Issue Brief entitled “Medicare Lacks Consistent Oversight of Cybersecurity for Networked Medical Devices in Hospitals.” According to the OIG, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should amend interpretative guidelines or other nonbinding guidelines, or…
NY Telehealth Waivers End
New York’s State Disaster Emergency declaration, which had been extended through June 24 through a series of Executive Orders by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has expired. Among many other things, the Executive Orders had removed certain restrictions on the provision of telehealth services.
For example, since March 18, 2020, Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 202.5 had…
OCR’s HIPAA Right of Access Initiative Continues
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has pursued its HIPAA Right of Access Initiative since 2019. OCR’s 19th settlement under the initiative, with The Diabetes, Endocrinology & Lipidology Center, Inc. (DELC), curiously resulted in only a $5,000 fine. The West Virginia provider treats patients who have endocrine disorders.…
FDA Issues Medical Device Safety Guidance for MRI Facilities
On May 19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final guidance for assessing the safety and compatibility of medical devices within magnetic resonance imaging facilities. The guidance applies to implanted devices, external devices like insulin pumps and pulse oximeters, and any other devices that may be brought into MRI rooms, but not to…
OIG Issues Favorable Advisory Opinion on Hospital/Physician Joint Venture ASC
In a recent advisory opinion, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded that certain investments by a health system, manager and physicians in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) did not create a substantial risk of fraud and abuse under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) even though the…
Recreational Cannabis Statutes’ Impact on NY and NJ Employers
New York and New Jersey recently legalized recreational marijuana within less than 6 weeks of each other. While both acts prohibit employers from taking action against employees at least 21 years old who use marijuana recreationally and restrict employers from denying these employees’ employment rights and privileges based solely on marijuana use, it begs the…