Posts from 2021
CMIA Amendments Increase Health Care Providers’ Responsibility for Protecting Enrollees’ Privacy

Newly enacted Assembly Bill 1184 (“AB 1184”) will effectuate revisions to the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act that will require significant changes to the operational practices and risk management assessments of health care providers and insurers. AB 1184's changes to the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act reflect a shift toward compartmentalizing the medical information of a patient, enrollee or insured individual (“Enrollees”) away from the policyholder – whether that policyholder is the spouse, guardian or parent of the Enrollee. The new ...

How to Prevent an OFAC Sanction When Responding to a Ransomware Attack

A ransomware attack is a major threat affecting all sectors of business, including healthcare. Organizations typically follow state and federal privacy laws as part of their ransomware prevention and response measures. Beyond these privacy laws, every organization should also be aware of U.S. sanctions law in its response to a ransomware attack.

As a reminder, on October 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) issued an advisory warning regarding the risk associated with making a ransomware payment. Federal laws prohibit U.S. persons or ...

Ruling Addresses Anti-SLAPP Usage in Medical Peer Review Process

The California Supreme Court has addressed yet another brick in the anti-SLAPP wall protecting the medical peer review process from challenges by disgruntled physicians and delivered a mixed-bag opinion, with one holding favoring peer reviewers and the other favoring the plaintiff physician. Readers of this blog are familiar with the ever-shifting battlefront between peer reviewers and reviewed physicians over the former’s use of the anti-SLAPP statute (Cal. Code Civ. Proc., § 425.16) to protect their review process from legal challenges by physicians. … 

Posted in Managed Care
What to Expect When Selling a Physician Practice

For various reasons, a medical group may decide that it is time to sell their practice. This could be due to reduced reimbursements, increased operational complexities or the desire to “cash out” and retire. When considering a sale, practice leadership should take the following steps to ensure maximum benefit to the physicians in the practice …

Can Businesses That Rent Office Space Enforce COVID-19 Protocols on Landlords?

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, and the rate of newly recorded infections is starting to decline, many California counties are moving to less restrictive tiers and lifting restrictions applicable to the business environment. A hot topic for many employers has been developing COVID-19 protocols and vaccine requirements for employees returning to corporate office buildings. (See “Can a Healthcare Provider Require Employees to Take a COVID-19 Vaccine?” for protocol guidelines.) Some healthcare businesses that utilize both traditional office space and medical ...

The Biden Administration’s Potential Impact on Health Care

Congress and the Biden Administration are grappling with an economic stimulus bill that will touch many segments of American life, including health care, if it passes in the Senate. This has many clients wondering what impact the Biden Administration will have on the healthcare sector from a regulatory perspective. Early indications point to a focus on four issues that continue to resound: the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), COVID-19-related regulatory relief, lowering prescription drug prices and restricting the occurrence of surprise billing … 

Can a Healthcare Provider Require Employees to Take a COVID-19 Vaccine?

As pandemic restrictions begin to lift and the prospect of employees returning to the workplace becomes a reality, many employers are wondering, whether they can or should make the COVID-19 vaccine a mandatory requirement as a condition of employment or continued employment. The short answer is, per recent EEOC guidance, employers can require employees to be vaccinated, subject to certain exceptions, requirements and caveats discussed below. However, a critical issue is whether employers should mandate COVID-19 vaccinations … 

New Disclosure Requirements for Those that Contract with ERISA Group Health Plans

Included within the 5539 pages of statutory changes in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the COVID-19 relief bill signed into law at the end of December 2020) are important new “transparency” laws that affect third party administrators and other providers who contract with ERISA-regulated group health plans for certain brokerage and consulting services … 

Cities Consider Creating Their Own Public Health Departments

In response to public health restrictions ordered by county health departments and the resulting disruption of local business, a number of California cities are exploring whether or not to create their own health departments. While city health departments were common in California during the 1800s and early 1900s, most cities deferred this governmental function to the better-equipped county … 

Our Health Law Ticker is a one-stop resource for everything new and noteworthy in healthcare law. We cover recent developments in healthcare legislation, healthcare reform, Medicare/Medicaid, managed care, litigation, regulatory compliance, HIPAA, privacy, peer review, medical staffs and general business operations for healthcare companies and licensed healthcare professionals.

Stay Connected

RSS RSS Feed

Categories

Archives

View All Nossaman Blogs
Jump to Page

We use cookies on this website to improve functionality, enhance performance, analyze website traffic and to enable social media features. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy and our Terms & Conditions for additional detail.