On June 27, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-204, “An Act Concerning the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2025, and Making Appropriations Therefor, and Provisions Related to Revenue and Other Items Implementing the State Budget” (the Act). Among other things, the Act includes provisions addressing hospitals’ obligations with regards to staffing, nurse overtime, and nurse scope of practice.Continue Reading Connecticut Expands Nurse Protections Relating to Hospital Nurse Staffing Plans, Scope of Practice, and Overtime

On June 28, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act No. 23-97, “An Act Concerning Health and Wellness for Connecticut Residents.”  The Act includes a wide range of provisions aimed at supporting health care workforce development and improving access to health care. Some of the provisions of the Act are summarized below.Continue Reading Connecticut Adds Requirements for Opioid Prescribing and Expands Provider Licensure and Credentialing Avenues

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed two important pieces of legislation that affect hospitals and certain Medicaid providers and programs.  First, Public Act No. 23-39, “An Act Requiring Discharge Standards Regarding Follow-Up Appointments and Prescription Medications for Patients Being Discharged From a Hospital or Nursing Home Facility” addresses new hospital discharge obligations for state hospitals.  Second, Public Act No. 23-186, “An Act Concerning Nonprofit Provider Retention of Contract Savings, Community Health Worker Medicaid Reimbursement and Studies of Medicaid Rates of Reimbursement, Nursing Home Transportation and Nursing Home Waiting Lists”, which implements various changes affecting the state Medicaid program and enrolled providers. Certain legislative changes implemented by these Acts are summarized below.Continue Reading Connecticut Governor Signs Legislation Implementing New Requirements for Hospitals and Nursing Home Facilities

On June 26, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act No. 23-147, “An Act Protecting Maternal Health.” The Act makes various changes aimed at bolstering health care access and services for maternal and infant health. Key elements of the Act are summarized below.Continue Reading Connecticut Governor Signs Bill Introducing Programs to Improve Maternal Health

On June 26, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-129: “An Act Concerning Liability for False and Fraudulent Claims” (the Act). The Act expands application of Connecticut’s False Claims Act (CFCA) to all claims for money or property to the state of Connecticut (except as expressly provided in the CFCA) and accordingly expands the scope of conduct covered by the CFCA. The Act does so by removing the current limitation on the CFCA’s applicability to only state-administered health or human services programs. The Act took effect July 1, 2023.Continue Reading Connecticut Expands Applicability of State False Claims Act

On June 27, 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-171 entitled “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”), which includes changes to Connecticut’s facility fees law. The Act implements previously-announced legislative initiatives that are the product of collaboration between Governor Lamont and the Connecticut Hospital Association, as well as other health care stakeholders.Continue Reading Connecticut Governor Signs Health Care Bill Revising Connecticut’s Facility Fee Law

On June 5, 2023, the Connecticut Legislature passed Public Act No. 23-97, “An Act Concerning Health and Wellness for Connecticut Residents” (“the Act”). Sections 13 through 15 of the Act make important changes to Connecticut law governing physician, physician assistant (PA), and advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) non-compete agreements. These changes are summarized below and scheduled to take effect July 1, 2023. Governor Lamont is expected to sign the Act but has not done so as of the date of this publication.Continue Reading Connecticut Legislature Passes Law Limiting Physician, PA and APRN Non-Compete Agreements

On June 7, 2023, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB6669, “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”), which includes a prohibition on certain contractual clauses in agreements between health care providers and insurance companies. The Act implements previously-announced legislative initiatives that are the product of collaboration between Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Hospital Association, as well as other health care stakeholders. Governor Lamont is expected to sign the Act but has not done so as of this publication.Continue Reading Connecticut Health Care Bill Revises Provider-Payor Contracting Requirements to Address Competitive Concerns

On June 7, 2023, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB6669, “An Act Protecting Patients and Prohibiting Unnecessary Health Care Costs” (“the Act”). The Act implements legislative initiatives announced earlier this week that are the product of collaboration between Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Hospital Association, as well as other health care stakeholders. Governor Lamont is expected to sign the Act but has not done so as of this publication.Continue Reading Connecticut Governor’s Health Care Bill Makes Important Changes to the Certificate of Need Process

This post is co-authored by Seth Orkand, co-chair of Robinson+Cole’s Government Enforcement and White-Collar Defense Team.

On June 1, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in the highest-profile False Claims Act (FCA) case for many years, concluding that a party’s subjective belief as to whether it overcharged Medicare and Medicaid