Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed into law Public Act No. 26-68 (the Act), which makes targeted but significant changes to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) enforcement authority for health care licensure and certification violations by increasing potential fines and creating criminal liability for certain unlicensed operation of health care institutions and unlicensed provision of
Government Enforcement
Massachusetts HPC Expands Reporting Requirements and Oversight Authority in New Material Change Regulations
On April 16, 2026, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) approved amendments to its Material Change Notice (MCN) regulations at 958 CMR 7.00 (the Amended Regulations), which went into effect on May 8, 2026. As background, following the 2025 passage of health care legislation that expanded the HPC’s health care market oversight responsibilities, the HPC…
Connecticut Heightens Scrutiny of Private Equity in Healthcare with Law Banning Hospital Sale-Leaseback Agreements and Requiring Private Equity Attestations
On May 27, 2026, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 26-22, “An Act Concerning Hospital Sale-Leaseback Agreements and Attestations Concerning Lack of Private Equity Control of the Hospital and Control of or Interference with the Professional Judgment and Clinical Decisions of Certain Health Care Providers” (PA 26-22). PA 26-22 prohibits…
Connecticut Establishes New Process for Hospitals Seeking to Pause or Terminate Service Lines
On May 26, 2026, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill overhauling the state’s Certificate of Need (CON) program which, among other things, eliminates the current CON approval requirement for a hospital to terminate services. A new process for hospitals to provide notice of service suspensions and terminations is part of the State’s budget bill…
Everything Old is New Again: Connecticut Revamps Certificate of Need (CON) Program under Department of Public Health
On May 2, 2026, the Connecticut Legislature approved the overhaul of the state’s Certificate of Need (CON) program as part of its appropriations bill for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, Public Act No. 26-68 (“the Act”).
The Act significantly revises all aspects of the CON program and process, including most notably by eliminating…
Massachusetts HPC Proposes to Update Material Change Reporting Requirements to Align with Newly Expanded Oversight Authority
By Conor Duffy, Ivy Miller & Robinson+Cole's Health Law Group on
On February 5, 2026, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) published proposed amendments to its Material Change regulations at 958 CMR 7.00 (the Proposed Amendments). Among other things, the Proposed Amendments broaden the HPC’s market review authority by subjecting more transactions to the HPC’s Material Change Notice (MCN) process and provide the HPC greater latitude…
Hospitals Face New Attestation and NPI Requirements for Off-Campus Outpatient Locations by January 1, 2028
By Conor Duffy & Robinson+Cole's Health Law Group on
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, HR 7148 (the Act), just signed into law on February 3, 2026, ended a brief government shutdown and includes multiple provisions with a critical impact on health care organizations. We have previously covered the Act’s renewal and extension through 2027 of COVID-era Medicare telehealth flexibilities and its revisions to…
Two Weeks Notice for Covered Entities: February 16 Deadline Approaches to Update HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
By Conor Duffy on
Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Government Enforcement, Health Information Exchanges and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Health Information Technology, Health Policy, HIPAA, Hospitals and Health Systems, Legislation, Licensure, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals, Tax Exemption/Charitable Organizations
February 16, 2026, is the deadline for each HIPAA covered entity to update its Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) to incorporate new regulatory requirements enacted in 2024. Specifically, HIPAA-covered entities (including health care providers and health plans) are required to review and revise their NPPs as necessary to ensure compliance with a 2024 federal rulemaking…
DEA Extends Tele-Prescribing Flexibilities Yet Again – Now Through December 31, 2026 – to Avoid Telemedicine Cliff
On December 31, 2025, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) extended current regulatory flexibilities related to tele-prescribing of controlled substances for another year. The DEA issued a fourth temporary extension (2026 Extension) of its pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities, which are now scheduled to end on December 31, 2026. The DEA explained that another extension…
Appeals Dropped of Decision Vacating HIPAA Reproductive Health Privacy Rule, Confirming Apparent End of the Rule and Attestation Requirement
By Conor Duffy & Ivy Miller on
On September 10, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal of the federal court ruling vacating key provisions of the HIPAA reproductive health care regulations, which appears to signal the end of the Purl case (previously discussed here) and to confirm the end of provisions of the HIPAA…