On June 13, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-168 “An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Recommendations Regarding Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes” (PA 18-168). This legislation makes a number of changes to state laws concerning public health and the responsibilities of the Department of Public Health (DPH), including laws affecting advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), advance directives, the scope of practice for podiatry, respiratory care, reportable events at nursing homes, and the supervision of physician assistants. …
Robinson+Cole's Health Law Group
Connecticut Enacts Law Revising Various Department of Public Health Statutes
Connecticut Expands Consumer Protections Against Identity Theft and Data Breaches
On June 4, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-90 “An Act Concerning Security Freezes on Credit Reports, Identity Theft Prevention Services and Regulations of Credit Rating Agencies” (P.A. 18-90). This bill makes several revisions to Connecticut laws concerning identity theft, most notably by newly prohibiting credit reporting agencies from charging fees for consumers to place or remove security freezes. This law takes effect on October 1, 2018.…
New Connecticut Legislation Updates Laws Concerning Urgent Care Centers, Hospital-Based Facility Fees and Freestanding Hospital Emergency Departments
On June 12, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-149 “An Act Concerning Outpatient Clinics, Urgent Care Centers and Freestanding Emergency Departments” (PA 18-149). This legislation makes several changes to Connecticut laws concerning urgent care centers, facility fees charged at off-site hospital-based facilities, and freestanding emergency departments. PA 18-149 is effective as of October 1, 2018.…
Connecticut Legislature Again Addresses Opioid Crisis
On June 14, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-166 “An Act Concerning the Prevention and Treatment of Opioid Dependency and Opioid Overdoses in the State” (PA 18-166).
This legislation seeks to address the ongoing opioid crisis in Connecticut in part by: (i) implementing a new opioid overdose reporting requirement for hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, (ii) establishing a statutory framework under which health care practitioners and pharmacists may partner with law enforcement or other government agencies, EMS providers, or …
Connecticut Enacts Legislation to Address Hospital-Insurer Network Conflicts
On June 6, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-115 “An Act Concerning Disputes Between Health Carriers and Participating Providers That Are Hospitals” (PA 18-115). This legislation updates state laws concerning the departure or removal of a hospital from an insurance carrier’s provider network. PA 18-115 takes effect July 1, 2018.…
Connecticut Enacts Law to Limit Automatic Prescription Refills for Medicaid Beneficiaries
On June 1, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act 18-77 “An Act Limiting Auto Refills of Prescription Drugs Covered Under the Medicaid Program and Requiring the Commissioner of Social Services to Provide CHIP Data to the Health Information Technology Officer” (PA 18-77). This legislation allows the Department of Social Services (DSS) to prohibit pharmacies from automatically refilling certain prescription drugs for Medicaid beneficiaries and prohibits DSS from paying for refills of such drugs unless it receives a request for payment from the beneficiary …
Connecticut Legislature Revises DSS Provider Audit Processes
On June 1, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-76 “An Act Concerning Audits of Medical Assistance Providers” (PA 18-76), which makes several changes to the Medicaid provider audit process conducted by or on behalf of the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). PA 18-76 is effective July 1, 2018.…
Connecticut Legislature Operationalizes New Health Oversight Agency: The Office of Health Strategy
On May 14, 2018, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 18-91 “An Act Concerning the Office of Health Strategy” (PA 18-91), a bill that operationalizes the Office of Health Strategy (OHS), a new health oversight agency in Connecticut. OHS is a division of the Department of Public Health (DPH) “for administrative purposes only” that was provisionally established by the Connecticut General Assembly within the budget implementer bill passed in a special session in late 2017 and accorded responsibility for developing and implementing a …
FDA Provides Guidance on Postmarketing Safety Reporting for Combination Products
On March 21, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published two guidance documents addressing postmarketing safety reporting requirements (PMSR) for combination products. The FDA had previously issued a Final Rule on PMSR for combination products on December 20, 2016 (PMSR Final Rule).
By way of background, combination products are therapeutic and diagnostic products that combine drugs, devices, and/or biological products. Because PMSR regulations for medical products in different categories are individualized (for example, PMSR are different for drugs than they are for medical devices and biological products), the two …
CMS Issues National Coverage Determination On Next Generation Sequencing For Advanced Cancer
On March 16, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Decision Memo for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer (CAG-00450N). In the memo, CMS concluded that NGS as a diagnostic laboratory test is reasonable, necessary and covered nationally when performed in a CLIA-certified laboratory, ordered by a treating physician, and certain additional patient-status and testing requirements are met. The memo outlines these requirements and specifies the criteria that Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) must use to determine coverage for NGS as a diagnostic …
Public Act 17-241 — An Act Concerning Fairness in Pharmacy and Pharmacy Benefits Manager Contracts
Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy recently signed into law Public Act 17-241 (PA 17-241), which contains provisions concerning facility fees, the sending and receiving of electronic health records between hospitals and health care providers, and restrictions on contractual provisions between health care providers and insurance companies.
We recently covered PA 17-241 in our Health Law Pulse, it can be accessed here.…
New OIG Advisory Opinion Allows Waiver of Cost Sharing in Research Studies
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued Advisory Opinion 17-02, allowing waivers or reductions of cost-sharing amounts owed by financially needy Medicare beneficiaries in connection with certain clinical research studies conducted at a non-profit medical center. In the advisory opinion, the OIG reiterated its longstanding concern about routine waivers of Medicare beneficiary cost-sharing amounts in the absence of financial hardship, and noted this can lead to liability under the anti-kickback statute (AKS). The research studies were conducted utilizing protocols under the Medicare Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) framework …
Connecticut Enacts Legislation Intended to Curb Opioid Drug Abuse
On June 30, 2017, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed into law An Act Preventing Prescription Opioid Diversion and Abuse (Public Act No. 17-131). This legislation addresses opioid drug abuse in Connecticut by revising current laws related to controlled substance prescribing and disposal and enacting new laws regarding opioid abuse prevention and treatment.
We recently covered PA 17-131 in our Health Law Pulse, it can be accessed here.…
OIG Publishes Prioritized Recommendations for HHS
The OIG has released the 2017 Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendations, summarizing prioritized recommendations relating to HHS programs and operations. Topping the list are recommendations relating to hospitals, including:
- Reimbursement rates for critical access hospital swing beds should be adjusted to the lower rates for similar services provided in skilled nursing facilities.
- Reimbursement rates for hospital outpatient department procedures should be adjusted to the lower rates for similar procedures conducted in ambulatory surgical centers.
- Medicare should adopt a hospital transfer payment policy to lower hospital reimbursement for beneficiaries who are
Connecticut Enacts Legislation Updating HIV Testing Laws
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy recently signed into law Public Act 17-6 (PA 17-6), a bill that makes certain revisions to state laws concerning human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and syringe services programs pursuant to recommendations of the Department of Public Health (DPH). The substantive provisions of this legislation take effect July 1, 2017.
Currently, Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-90 states that physicians furnishing prenatal care to pregnant women shall take (or cause to be taken) a blood sample within 30 days of the woman’s first examination, and again during the final …
Connecticut Legislature Expands Universe of Available Disciplinary Actions Against Licensed Practitioners
The Connecticut Legislature recently approved Public Act 17-10, a bill that establishes a new disciplinary action that may be taken against certain licensed practitioners in Connecticut, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, podiatrists, physical therapists, psychologists, and EMS personnel.…
CMS Issues Proposed IPPS Rule
On April 14, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the FY 2018 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Proposed Rule, and Request for Information (Proposed Rule). The Proposed Rule outlines proposed updates to Medicare payment rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and policies for hospital admissions. The goals of the Proposed Rule include relieving regulatory burdens on providers, supporting the doctor-patient relationship, and promoting transparency, flexibility, and innovation in the delivery of care.…
OIG Warns of Scam Using the OIG Hotline Number
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a fraud alert, warning that the OIG Hotline telephone number was being used in scams across the country. According to the OIG, the scammers pose as OIG Hotline employees and alter the caller ID to make it appear as if the call is coming from the OIG Hotline number. The scammer then tries to obtain or verify personal information, which could be used for fraudulent activities such as stealing money from bank accounts.…
CMS Final Rule Streamlines Appeals Process
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a Final Rule to streamline and address the substantial backlog of Medicare administrative appeals at the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and Departmental Appeals Board (DAB)/Medicare Appeals Council levels.
Among other changes to the appeals process, the Final Rule:
- Permits the designation of Medicare Appeals Council decisions as precedential, in order to provide clarity
- Gives attorney adjudicators certain authority that had been previously reserved to the ALJs, including the authority to decide appeals that can be determined without a hearing, to
Appeal Filed in Case Ordering HHS to Reduce Backlog of ALJ Appeals
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has appealed a ruling by United States District Court Judge James E. Boasberg that had required HHS to make substantial reductions in its current backlog of cases pending before Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) (Notice of Appeal, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Case No. 17-5018). In his Memorandum Decision filed December 5, 2016, Judge Boasberg had ordered HHS to achieve a 30% reduction in the current backlog of cases pending at the ALJ level by December …
TCPA Violations Claimed Against San Diego Hospital
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego (Hospital) was hit with a proposed class action in California federal court this week for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for autodialed debt-collection calls to consumers’ cell phones. The complaint states that “[the Hospital], either directly or through their agents, illegally contacted plaintiffs and the class members via their cellular telephones by using an ATDS [(i.e.,an automated telephone dialing system)], thereby causing plaintiffs and the class members to incur certain cellular telephone charges or reduce cellular telephone time for which plaintiffs and …
Second Circuit Denies En Banc Rehearing in Microsoft Email Case
On January 24, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied the Department of Justice’s request for an en banc rehearing in In the Matter of a Warrant to Search a Certain Email Account Controlled and Maintained by Microsoft Corp. a/k/a Microsoft Corp. v. United States (No. 14-2985). The denial leaves in place a controversial decision by a three judge panel that quashed a warrant obtained by the DOJ under the Stored Communications Act (SCA) seeking the contents of a Microsoft customer’s emails. The majority panel …
CMS Updates Home Health Agency Conditions of Participation
On January 13, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Final Rule updating the home health agency (HHA) Conditions of Participation (CoPs). HHAs only have until July 13, 2017 to implement these extensive changes. CMS revised the CoPs to focus on a “patient-centered, data-driven, outcome-oriented process that promotes high quality patient care at all times for all patients.”
Below are some of the most significant changes to the CoPs for home health agencies (HHAs) — the Final Rule:…
CMS Final Rule on Episode Payment Models and Revisions to CJR Model
In December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule (Final Rule) implementing new and revised episode payment models (EPMs) developed by the CMS Innovation Center. The Final Rule continues CMS’ transition of Medicare payment methodologies away from fee-for-service and towards value-based payments, including by incentivizing care coordination efforts and tying payments to quality improvement.
New EPMs: The Final Rule implements three new EPMs for episodes of care surrounding (i) acute myocardial infarction (AMI); (ii) coronary artery bypass graft (CABG); and (iii) surgical hip/femur fracture treatment …
