On December 12, 2014, CMS published a proposed rule to revise selected conditions of participation (CoPs) for providers, conditions for coverage (CfCs) for suppliers, and requirements for long-term care (LTC) facilities to conform with the Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor, and ensure that same-sex spouses in legally-valid marriages are recognized and

On October 6, 2014, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4994, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (the “IMPACT Act”). The IMPACT Act’s provisions will affect a broad range of post-acute care (PAC) providers: home health agencies (HHAs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), and long-term acute care hospitals

On October 16, 2014, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the HHS Office of the National Coordinator on Health Information Technology (ONC) are holding a public workshop entitled “Putting the Person at the Center: Integrating Plans for Long-Term Services and Supports and Health Care Delivery through Health Information Technology.” The workshop will

On May 12, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule that reforms federal health policy regulations that CMS has identified as unnecessary, obsolete, or excessively burdensome on health care providers and suppliers. The rule also is intended to eliminate or reduce requirements that impede quality patient care or that divert resources away from providing high quality patient care. CMS estimates that the rule will result in annual recurring savings of about $660 million, plus a $22 million one-time savings to long-term care facilities from a sprinkler deadline extension. Highlights of the wide-ranging rule include the following:
Continue Reading CMS Adopts Final Rule to Reduce Provider Regulatory Burdens

On April 16, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule that would amend fire safety standards applicable to the following types of Medicare- and Medicaid-participating health care facilities: hospitals, critical access hospitals, long-term care facilities (skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, and distinct part skilled nursing facilities or nursing facilities),

In early April, Reed Smith hosted an enlightening conference entitled “Reed Smith 2014 Washington Health Care Conference: Focus on Post-Acute Care” in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together a panel of experts to discuss episodic care, bundling models, and alternative payment and delivery systems, as well as other speakers to present from the perspective of investors and Capitol Hill. The conference was capped with a stimulating keynote address from American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Dr. Norman Ornstein on the current polarized nature of American politics, particularly in regards to national health policy.
Continue Reading Highlights from Reed Smith’s Post-Acute Care Conference

On April 4th, 2014, Reed Smith will host its inaugural Washington Health Care Conference at The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. With a keynote from Dr. Norman Ornstein, this year’s conference will focus on post-acute care, bringing together leading industry professionals for a discussion on several important issues. Limited seating is still available for this complimentary program. If you are interested in registering, please email Lindsay Korenich at lkorenich@reedsmith.com.
Continue Reading Reed Smith Hosting Washington Health Care Conference: Focus on Post-Acute Care on April 4, 2014 – One Week Left to Register

On January 16, 2014, CMS published a final rule that implements expanded federal support for HCBS offered as an optional benefit through state Medicaid programs, as authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Deficit Reduction Act. Specifically, the rule establishes eligibility requirements for Medicaid HCBS provided under sections 1915(c), 1915(i), and 1915(k) of

On December 27, 2013, CMS published a proposed rule that would establish national emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating providers and suppliers to ensure that they can meet the needs of patients and residents during emergency situations, both natural and man-made. The proposed requirements cover four aspects of emergency preparedness:

  • Risk assessment and planning: Providers

Congress continues to examine issues associated with enrollment in qualified health plans under Healthcare.gov.  For instance:

On June 27, 2013, CMS published a final rule that revises the requirements that an institution must meet to qualify as a skilled nursing facility (SNF) in the Medicare program, or as a nursing facility (NF) in the Medicaid program with regard to hospice services. Specifically, the rule requires SNFs and NFs that chose

On March 19, 2013, CMS published a final rule that adopts, with technical changes and a few clarifications, a February 18, 2011 interim final rule implementing an ACA provision imposing notification requirements in connection with closure of a Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) or Medicaid nursing facility (NF). Under the rule, in the case

CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) are seeking comments on a series of potential policies intended to accelerate electronic health information exchange (HIE) across providers. The notice identifies various gaps that the policies and programs are intended to address, such as low rates of electronic health record

On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed into law (via autopen) the “fiscal cliff” deal, H.R. 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA). In addition to making well-publicized changes to the tax code, the new law includes numerous Medicare payment provisions. Most notably, the law includes a one-year Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) fix that is paid for by approximately $30 billion in other health care (mainly Medicare) spending reductions over 10 years. ATRA also delays until March 2013 the automatic, across-the-board “sequestration” cuts in federal spending imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011, which are expected to reduce Medicare provider payments by more than $11 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and $123 billion over the period of FY 2013 to 2021. The delay in sequestration, coupled with the government again reaching its debt ceiling, sets up another near-term battle on federal spending, during which Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care programs could be targeted for even more significant cuts.

The health provisions of ATRA are summarized in our client alert.
Continue Reading Fiscal Cliff Deal Includes Medicare Cuts and Other Health Policy Changes

HHS is establishing a new Administration for Community Living (ACL) designed to: reduce the fragmentation in federal programs address the community living service and support needs of both the aging and disability populations; enhance access to quality health care and long-term services and supports for all individuals; promote consistency in community living policy across other

The House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee recently held a hearing on “FDA User Fees 2012: How Innovation Helps Patients and Jobs,” focusing on reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the Medical Device User Fee Act.  In addition, the Senate Aging Committee examined the “Future of Long-Term Care: