The HHS Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) is seeking public comments on ways to address the substantial growth in the number of hearing requests being filed with OMHA and the backlog of pending cases. In particular, OMHA is seeking suggestions related to current OMHA initiatives or other recommendations for addressing the increased workload and/or backlog … Continue Reading
On October 24, 2014, the HHS Office for Human Research Protections published a notice announcing that it is seeking comments on draft guidance for the research community entitled “Guidance on Disclosing Reasonably Foreseeable Risks in Research Evaluating Standards of Care.” The guidance addresses risks to subjects that are presented by research evaluating risks associated with … Continue Reading
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is launching the “Market R&D Pilot Challenge,” which will bring together health care organizations and innovative companies to test new health information technology products through pilot funding awards and facilitated matchmaking. Pilot proposals could be awarded in three domains: clinical environments (e.g., hospitals, ambulatory … Continue Reading
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published a major proposed rule that would amend the safe harbors to the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Civil Monetary Penalty rules to protect certain payment practices and business arrangements from criminal prosecution or civil sanctions under the AKS. Reed Smith has prepared a Client Alert analyzing the proposed rule, highlighting areas where the OIG is seeking public comment. Overall, the OIG appears to recognize that new health care delivery mechanisms demand a more flexible approach to fraud and abuse enforcement than has been the case in the past, as discussed in our analysis.… Continue Reading
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a final rule on September 11, 2014 that is intended to introduce regulatory flexibilities with regard to certification to the 2014 Edition Electronic Health Records (EHR) Certification Criteria. The rule also codifies certain revisions to the ONC Health Information Technology (HIT) Certification Program … Continue Reading
On September 19, 2014, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health & Human Services issued a Special Advisory Bulletin (SAB) in which it identified several potential regulatory risks to federal health care programs as the result of coupon programs used by drug manufacturers to reduce or eliminate patient copayments for brand-name drugs. In the SAB, the OIG explains that coupon program sponsors and pharmacies will risk the receipt of penalties if they do not take steps to actively prevent federal health care program beneficiaries from using the coupons. According to the OIG, these coupon programs qualify as examples of remuneration offered to consumers to encourage the purchase and use of specific items, and therefore implicate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. In addition, a claim that includes items or services resulting from such a kickback violation would constitute a false or fraudulent claim under the False Claims Act.… Continue Reading
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has cleared an HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) proposed rule that would expand the OIG’s Medicare and state health care program fraud and abuse authorities. Specifically, on September 4, 2014, the OMB gave final regulatory clearance to an OIG proposed rule that would add new anti-kickback safe … Continue Reading
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) have issued a final rule that gives providers additional options in how they use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology (CEHRT) to meet meaningful use requirements for the 2014 EHR Incentive Program reporting period. Under the … Continue Reading
The Obama Administration has issued two regulations addressing coverage of contraceptive services under QHPs in response to recent court rulings (in particular the Supreme Court ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.) addressing certain religious objections to such coverage. First, an interim final rule provides an additional pathway for nonprofit organizations eligible for a … Continue Reading
HHS has published a final rule that makes official the October 1, 2015 compliance date for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) and the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS). HHS had previously intended to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 on October 1, 2014, but the Protecting Access … Continue Reading
HHS has issued a proposed rule that would specify additional options for annual eligibility redeterminations and renewal and re-enrollment notice requirements for qualified health plans offered through the ACA insurance Exchange/Marketplace, beginning with annual redeterminations for coverage for plan year 2015. Comments are due July 28, 2014.… Continue Reading
HHS has issued a proposed rule that would specify additional options for annual eligibility redeterminations and renewal and re-enrollment notice requirements for qualified health plans offered through the ACA insurance Exchange/Marketplace, beginning with annual redeterminations for coverage for plan year 2015. Comments are due July 28, 2014.… Continue Reading
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its Spring 2014 Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which outlines planned regulatory initiatives across the Department and in a wide range of policy areas. Major prospective HHS rulemakings likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities are compiled in a separate Federal … Continue Reading
On June 25, 2014, HHS and the Departments of Labor and Treasury are publishing a final rule addressing the treatment of employment orientation periods for purposes of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance coverage waiting period limitation. The ACA generally bars employer-sponsored group health plans and group health insurance issuers from imposing a health … Continue Reading
On the heels of its proposed rule to expand its health program exclusion authority, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services has published a proposed rule that would amend the health care program civil monetary penalty (CMP) regulations. The rule would codify the OIG's expanded statutory authority under the Affordable Care Act to impose CMPs on providers and suppliers and would allow for significant penalties in a variety of scenarios, some of which could extend beyond what is currently permitted.
Reed Smith attorneys have prepared a Client Alert summarizing and analyzing the OIG's proposed rule, including the various scenarios under which CMPs could be issued under the proposed regulations, such as: failure to report and return an overpayment; failure to grant OIG timely access to records upon request; ordering or prescribing items or services while excluded from a federal health care program, as well as arranging or contracting with an individual or entity who meets this criteria; making false statements or omitting or misrepresenting material facts in an application, bid, or contract; and failing to submit or certify drug-pricing and product information in a timely manner. In addition, the alert covers the changes in technical language proposed by OIG to clarify and more clearly define the scope of CMP regulations.… Continue Reading
On May 9, 2014, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule that would significantly expand the exclusion regulations applicable to persons or entities that receive, directly or indirectly, funds from federal health care programs (the Proposed Rule). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded the OIG's authority for exclusion, and authorized the use of testimonial subpoenas in investigations of exclusion cases. In this Proposed Rule, the OIG incorporates these statutory changes, revises the definitions applicable to exclusions, proposes early reinstatement procedures, and offers a number of proposed policy changes as to when and how exclusions may take place.
Reed Smith has prepared a Client Alert that provides an overview of the Proposed Rule, including: proposed revisions to definitions; new grounds for exclusion; clarifications to existing regulations to add mitigating and aggravating factors; early reinstatement procedures; and proposed procedural changes in the OIG's exclusion authorities In particular, we discuss the OIG's assertion that there should be no statute of limitations within which it would have to seek exclusion. This limitless look-back authority could place a tremendous burden on providers and suppliers, since their conduct and compliance efforts could be second-guessed many years into the future, when supporting documentation and witnesses may be long gone. We also discuss how these proposed changes to the OIG's exclusion authorities could impact the debarment authority applicable to government contracts more generally.… Continue Reading
On the heels of publication of sweeping proposed rules to expand its exclusion and civil monetary penalty (CMP) authorities, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) is seeking White House clearance of another rule to expand its Medicare and state health care program fraud and abuse authorities. Specifically, yesterday the OIG sent to the Office … Continue Reading
On May 9, 2014, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule that would significantly expand the exclusion regulations applicable to persons or entities that receive, directly or indirectly, funds from federal health care programs. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded the OIG’s authority for exclusion and … Continue Reading
The Administration has issued numerous regulations recently that make additional changes to operational policies, payment provisions, and other standards applicable to health plans and Health Insurance Exchanges (also called Marketplaces) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Highlights include the following:… Continue Reading
Today CMS published an interim final rule with comment period that requires qualified health plan (QHP) issuers to accept premium and cost-sharing payments made on behalf of enrollees by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Indian tribes and organizations, and other federal and state government programs that provide premium and cost sharing support. This rulemaking was prompted by … Continue Reading
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is seeking comments on revisions to health information technology certification regulations for 2015. CMS is updating these criteria more frequently to provide more incremental regulatory changes, give stakeholders earlier information and greater opportunity for input, and respond more quickly to newer industry standards to … Continue Reading
On February 24, 2014, the Departments of HHS, Labor, and Treasury published final regulations that generally bar employer-sponsored group health plans and group health insurance issuers from imposing a health coverage waiting period of more than 90 days after an employee is otherwise eligible for coverage. Other conditions for eligibility are generally permissible, such as being … Continue Reading
On February 6, 2014, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) published a final rule making changes to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations to provide individuals with a greater ability to directly access their laboratory test reports. The rule is … Continue Reading
HHS has published a notice announcing the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP), Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (eFMAP), and disaster-recovery FMAP adjustments for fiscal year (FY) 2015. The new amounts will be used in the calculation of federal matching for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expenditures and other HHS programs, beginning October … Continue Reading
