Melissa (Lisa) Thompson

Melissa (Lisa) Thompson

Lisa Thompson advises companies, senior management, and boards of directors, with a focus on the health care, life sciences, technology, and food and beverage industries. She is a member of the firm’s Health Law Group, Government Investigations, Food and Beverage Industry Group, and Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Team. Lisa is co-chair of the Health Law Section of the Boston Bar Association. She also serves as an international and domestic arbitrator on the Commercial, Life Sciences, and Health Care panels of the American Arbitration Association. She is a member of the AAA Life Sciences Advisory Council and the advisory committee for the Boston International Arbitration Council (BIAC).

Lisa has represented domestic and international clients in the health care, life sciences, technology, and food and beverage industries. Lisa handles a range of matters, including corporate law and contracting, government investigations and audits, clinical research law, and matters involving Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). She has extensive experience representing clients on matters involving privacy and security including HIPAA, reimbursement, Medicare and Medicaid, state and federal surveys and termination actions, managed care disputes, pharmacy and compounding laws, fraud and abuse, Stark Law, anti-kickback, and federal program exclusions. Read her full rc.com bio here.

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CMS grants Massachusetts Section 1135 Waiver, DPH issues Guidance regarding Determination of Need and Nurse Staffing Requirements, and MassHealth Issues Provider and Pharmacy Guidance

By Anna Gurevich and Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC), COVID-19, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Medicare and Medicaid, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals

In this article, we highlight additional updates issued by state and federal government authorities for the health care community in Massachusetts related to COVID-19. This post addresses the Section 1135 waivers granted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) related to MassHealth and CHIP, Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) orders and guidance regarding Determination of Need and nurse staffing ratios, and MassHealth guidance for providers and pharmacies.…

OIG Issues FAQs on its Policy for Waiver of Patient Cost Sharing Obligations for Telehealth During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in COVID-19, Fraud and Abuse, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Office of Inspector General, Telemedicine

On March 25, 2020, the Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services (OIG) issued two frequently asked questions (FAQs), clarifying its March 17th Policy Statement Regarding Physicians and Other Practitioners That Reduce or Waive Amounts Owed by Federal Health Care Program Beneficiaries for Telehealth Services During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak (Policy Statement).…

CMS Announces Targeted Plan for Healthcare Facility Inspections in Light of COVID-19

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson and Brian Nichols on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC), COVID-19, Home Health Agencies, Hospice, Hospitals and Health Systems, Long Term Care and Nursing Homes, Medicare and Medicaid, Survey and Certification

On March 23, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that, effective immediately, it is temporarily postponing routine facility inspection and focusing on infection control and situations involving Immediate Jeopardy (where patient safety is placed in imminent danger). CMS is rolling out a new focused survey and inspection process to assess whether facilities are prepared for COVID-19, and has published a fact sheet describing the initiative. This will apply to inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified provider and supplier types across the country, such as long …

OHS Streamlines Application Process for CON Waivers to Respond to COVID-19

By Conor Duffy and Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Antitrust, COVID-19, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals

On March 20, the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) issued new guidance (Guidance) on the process for requesting a certificate of need (CON) waiver for projects related to the COVID-19 response. See our analysis of the initial OHS guidance on CON waivers here.…

Rhode Island Issues Emergency Regulations on Off-Label Prescribing for COVID-19, and Guidance on Telehealth and Reciprocal Licensure

By Anna Gurevich and Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in COVID-19, FDA, Legislation, Medicare and Medicaid, Pharmaceuticals and Biologics, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals, Telehealth

Rhode Island has issued important updates for health care providers related to COVID-19, available at https://health.ri.gov/diseases/ncov2019/for/providers/.  Providers should be aware of these updates including, among others, the following described below.…

COVID-19: HHS Issues FAQs on HIPAA and Telehealth to Help Providers Maintain Access to Care During the Pandemic

By Conor Duffy and Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC), COVID-19, Government Enforcement, Health Information Exchanges and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Health Information Technology, Healthcare Technology, HIPAA, Hospitals and Health Systems, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals, Privacy and Security, Reimbursement, Telehealth

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued additional guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on HIPAA and telehealth services to help providers furnish care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FAQs follow and provide further information on the Notification of Enforcement Discretion issued by HHS on March 17 (Notification), in which HHS indicated that it would not penalize providers for using popular video chat applications, such as FaceTime and Skype, in good faith to provide telehealth services amid the COVID-19 …

Federal Government Significantly Expands Telehealth Reimbursement During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson and Conor Duffy on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Accountable Care Organizations, COVID-19, Fraud and Abuse, Government Enforcement, Health Information Technology, Healthcare Technology, HIPAA, Hospitals and Health Systems, Legislation, Medical Devices, Medicare and Medicaid, Office of Inspector General, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals, Privacy and Security, Reimbursement, Telemedicine

On March 17, the Trump Administration announced expanded reimbursement for clinicians providing telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an announcement, a fact sheet and Frequently Asked Questions.  To further facilitate telehealth services, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a notification describing certain technologies that would be permitted to be used for telehealth without being subject to penalties under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations (HIPAA). In addition, the Office of Inspector …

COVID-19: Connecticut Issues Expedited CON Review Guidelines and Provider Guidance to Help Response Efforts

By Conor Duffy and Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals

On March 16, Connecticut agencies released two important guidance documents for state health care providers and organizations confronting the COVID-19 pandemic:

  1. The Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) – the entity responsible for overseeing Certificate of Need reviews and approvals – issued new CON Guidance that allows OHS to temporarily waive CON review requirements of transactions intended to promote the State’s response and management of COVID-19. The Guidance also mandates that all public hearings related to pending CON projects will be conducted remotely until further notice, with further guidance to
…

OCR Comments on Recent Ciox Case Vacating Certain Omnibus Rule Regulations and Guidance Relating to Fees for Providing Patient Records

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Health Information Exchanges and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Health Information Technology, Healthcare Technology, HIPAA

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued an Important Notice Regarding Individuals’ Right of Access to Health Records through its email list serve on January 29, 2020.  In the Notice, OCR addressed the recent memorandum Opinion issued in Ciox Health v. Azar, et al, No. 18-cv-00040 (D.D.C. January 23, 2020).

In that case, Ciox Health, LLC, a specialized medical records provider, had challenged certain provisions of the 2013 Omnibus Rule, including provisions pertaining to what can be charged for delivering records …

Bipartisan Bill for Federal Regulation of CBD in Foods and Dietary Supplements

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Dietary Supplements, Food and Beverage

A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 13, 2020, that (1) would allow hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) to be regulated as a dietary supplement, if all other applicable requirements for a dietary supplement are met, and (2) would not prohibit CBD from being included in foods that are introduced into interstate commerce. The bill was filed by the Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee, Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN), and co-sponsored by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY), James Comer (R-KY) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME).…

DOJ Announces $26.67 Million Settlement with Laboratory to Resolve FCA Allegations

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Department of Justice, False Claims Act, Fraud and Abuse, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Medicare and Medicaid, Office of Inspector General, Stark Law

On November 26, 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $26.67 million settlement with a laboratory testing corporation, Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation (Boston Heart). The settlement resolves allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations related to alleged payments for patient referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Physician Self-Referral Law (PSR Law) – commonly known as the Stark Law – and other improper billing.…

Government Releases Proposed Rules on Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law), Anti-Kickback Statute and CMP Law; Significant Regulatory Changes Intended to Encourage Care Coordination and Value-Based Care

By Conor Duffy and Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Accountable Care Organizations, Commercial Health Insurance, False Claims Act, Fraud and Abuse, Government Enforcement, Health Information Exchanges and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Health Information Technology, Hospitals and Health Systems, Legislation, Medicare and Medicaid, Office of Inspector General, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals, Reimbursement, Stark Law

On October 9, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its long-awaited proposals (the Proposed Rules) to update regulatory exceptions and safe harbors, for the federal Physician Self-Referral Law (also known as the Stark Law), the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), and the beneficiary inducement Civil Monetary Penalties Law (CMP). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update exceptions to the Physician Self-Referral Law (the PSR Rule), and the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a proposed rule to update the …

CMS Announces Pilot Program for Clinicians to View Claims Data of Medicare Beneficiaries

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Health Information Exchanges and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Health Information Technology, Healthcare Technology, Managed Care, Medicare and Medicaid, Privacy and Security

On July 30, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced “Data at the Point of Care” (DPC), a pilot program that will provide clinicians with access to claims data. The pilot program follows on the heels of the recently proposed Interoperability and Patient Access Proposed Rule, which would require regulated health plans to make patient data available through an application programming interface (API). These actions are also part of the MyHealthEData initiative spearheaded by the White House Office of American Innovation.…

CMS Issues Final Rule Restricting Arbitration Agreements with Long Term Care Facilities

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Arbitration, Long Term Care and Nursing Homes, Medicare and Medicaid

On July 18, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Final Rule establishing requirements for arbitration agreements between long-term care (LTC) facilities and their residents. The Final Rule represents a revamping by CMS of a prior rule that had been published in October 2016 that prohibited pre-dispute binding arbitration agreements. CMS undertook to revise the 2016 rule after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi enjoined enforcement of the prohibition on pre-dispute binding arbitration agreements.…

Federal Judge Vacates Final Rule on Drug Pricing Transparency in Consumer Advertising

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Medicare and Medicaid, Pharmaceuticals and Biologics, Pharmacy Law

In a Memorandum Opinion, Judge Amit P. Mehta, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, vacated a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Final Rule, just days before its July 9 effective date. The Final Rule would have required the list prices of prescription drugs to be included in direct-to-consumer advertisements.…

U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Scope of False Claims Act Statutes of Limitations

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson and Conor Duffy on Posted in Department of Justice, False Claims Act, Fraud and Abuse, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Medicare and Medicaid, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals, Reimbursement

In a unanimous decision issued on May 13, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court sought to resolve lingering confusion over the statute of limitations under the False Claims Act (FCA) for qui tam suits in which the federal government declines to intervene. In Cochise Consultancy, Inc. v. United States Ex Rel. Hunt, the Court held that a relator’s claim may be brought within 3 years after the government was made aware of underlying material claims, even where the government did not intervene in the case, because 10 years had not …

CMS Amends Regulations to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-Of-Pocket Expenses in Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription Drug Benefit Program

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Health Information Technology, Healthcare Technology, Medicare and Medicaid, Pharmaceuticals and Biologics, Pharmacy Law

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a final rule, to be published on May 23, 2019, amending the Medicare Advantage program (Part C) and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) regulations. According to CMS, the purpose of the rule is to lower drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket expenses in the Medicare Advantage and Part D drug programs.

The major provisions are:

  1. Protected classes. The final rule contains an exception to the requirement that Part D sponsors include all Part D drugs in these protected classes
…

CMS Final Rule on Drug Pricing Transparency in Consumer Television Ads

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Medicare and Medicaid, Pharmaceuticals and Biologics, Pharmacy Law

On May 10, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a Final Rule on drug pricing transparency in consumer advertisements. The new rule requires direct-to-consumer (DTC) television advertisements to include the list price of prescription drugs and biological products distributed in the US that are reimbursable by Medicare or Medicaid, whether directly or indirectly.…

CBD Update: FDA Issues Statement, Calls Public Hearing, and Announces Warning Letters on Products Containing Cannabis and its Components

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson and Rickie Sonpal on Posted in CBD - Cannabis, FDA, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Biologics, Pharmacies, Pharmacy Law

On April 2, 2019, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement and announced a public hearing on consumer products derived from cannabis and its components, including cannabidiol (CBD). Recognizing the need to provide clarity on the authority of FDA to regulate these products, and what pathways are available for marketing them, the agency outlined its next steps:

  • A public hearing will be held on May 31, and written comments are being sought from the public.
  • FDA is forming a high-level internal agency working group to explore potential
…

CMS Proposes Revised Prescription Drug Regulations to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out of Pocket Expenses

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Life Sciences, Medicare and Medicaid, Pharmaceuticals and Biologics, Pharmacy Law

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Proposed Rule to amend Medicare Advantage (MA) regulations and Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D) regulations.  The Proposed Rule was published on November 30, 2018. The Proposed Rule is intended to help lower drug prices for health and drug plans and reduce out-of-pocket costs for MA and Part D enrollees. Major provisions include: Providing Plans with increased flexibility in managing drug formularies. Current policy requires Part D formularies to include all drugs in the following categories: (1) antidepressants; (2) antipsychotics; …

OIG Issues Favorable Advisory Opinion for Trust Donations to Public-Private Research Institute Affiliated with a Health System Having Ongoing Business Relationships with Trustee-Owned Long-Term Care Facilities

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Advisory Opinions, Clinical Research, Fraud and Abuse, Government Enforcement, Hospitals and Health Systems, Office of Inspector General

On November 6, 2018, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services published a favorable Advisory Opinion regarding a proposed arrangement comprised of substantial donations that were earmarked for biomedical research purposes, made by a charitable trust (“Trust”) to a public-private medical research institute (“Research Institute”). The Research Institute had been formed by a health care system (“Health Care System”) and a public university (“University”). In addition, one of the Trustees planned to make a separate, individual donation to the Research Institute, through the …

OIG Advisory Opinion Allows PHO Network Hospitals to Give 100% Discount on Medigap-Covered Inpatient Deductibles, with Savings Shared as a Premium Credit to Patients

By Melissa (Lisa) Thompson on Posted in Advisory Opinions, Fraud and Abuse, Managed Care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare and Medicaid

The Office of Inspector General (OIG), Health and Human Services, issued an Advisory Opinion allowing an arrangement between a licensed offeror of Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance policies (Medigap Offeror) and a preferred hospital organization (PHO) having network hospitals across the U.S. (the “Arrangement”).  Under the Arrangement, the PHO’s network hospitals would provide discounts of up to 100% on Medicare Part A inpatient deductibles incurred by patients who are Medigap policyholders (the “Arrangement”). Normally, these deductibles would have been covered by the Medigap Offeror. Each time a network hospital provides a …

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