On July 16, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Request for Information (RFI) concerning potential updates to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) regulations. The RFI (CMS-3485-NC) reflects the agencies’ effort to assess whether the CLIA framework should be
Medicare and Medicaid
DOJ’s 2026 Health Care Fraud Takedown Signals Medicaid Enforcement Priorities
By Danielle Tangorre & Guest Contributor on
This post is co-authored by Seth Orkand, co-chair of Robinson+Cole’s Government Enforcement + White-Collar Defense Team, and Abigail Clarke, a 2026 Summer Associate at Robinson+Cole. Abigail is not admitted to practice law.
The Justice Department’s (DOJ) June 23, 2026, announcement of its annual Health Care Fraud Takedown makes clear that Medicaid and state health…
Connecticut Budget Acts Reshape Hospital Provider Tax Rules
Connecticut has overhauled key parts of its health care provider tax framework. On May 26, 2026, Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act No. 26-68, a budget implementer that revises how the state taxes and funds certain health care providers, among other changes related to the state’s health care system (see here, here…
Connecticut Disbands Office of Health Strategy and Reassigns Health Care Oversight and Policymaking Authority Across State Agencies
By Conor Duffy, Michael Lisitano & Ivy Miller on
Posted in Academic Medical Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC), Health Information Exchanges and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), Health Information Technology, Health Policy, Healthcare Transactions, Hospitals and Health Systems, Legislation, Medicare and Medicaid, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed Public Act No. 26-68 (“the Act”), which includes the elimination of the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) and reassignment of its statutory authority over the health care delivery system in Connecticut. The Act’s repeal of OHS’s enabling statute and the transfer of its authority to other state agencies are scheduled…
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…
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026: Another Lifeline for Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities
By Danielle Tangorre, Conor Duffy & Guest Contributor on
This post was co-authored by Paul Palma, legal intern at Robinson+Cole. Paul is not admitted to practice law.
On February 3, 2026, President Trump signed HR 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (“the Act”) ending the 4-day partial government shutdown. The Act, part of a broader fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending package, includes a…
Song Remains the Same – Medicare Telehealth Services At Risk of Expiring Again on January 30, 2026
Healthcare providers are currently facing yet another termination of Medicare telehealth flexibilities at the end of the day on January 30, 2026, unless Congress acts on proposals to further extend the COVID-era flexibilities for telehealth. If no legislative action is taken before January 30, 2026, the providers and Medicare patients who have depended on expanded…
CMS Adds New Requirements to Hospital Price Transparency Reporting
By Nathaniel Arden & Ivy Miller on
On November 21, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the CY 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final Rule (the Rule), which includes several significant changes to hospital price transparency regulations. The changes follow from Executive Order 14221, entitled “Making America Healthy Again by Empowering Patients…
Update on Processing of Telehealth Claims Impacted During the Government Shutdown
The recent government shutdown caused multiple Medicare statutory payment provisions to lapse on October 1, 2025, due to the absence of Congressional action. With the passage of the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (Pub. L. 119-37), (discussed here), Congress has retroactively restored many of these…
From Risk to Readiness: Navigating the Payor Audit Landscape
By Danielle Tangorre on
As payer audits become more frequent and complex, laboratories and healthcare providers must be equipped to respond effectively. Labs are especially vulnerable due to high-cost services and billing complexity. Triggers include but are not limited to sudden spikes in service volume, changes in test panels or clientele, use of uncommon codes or modifiers, and high…