On June 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the 2022-2023 California state budget, which included a trailer bill, Senate Bill 184 (the Bill) which makes numerous statutory revisions impacting health programs and consumers. The Bill establishes the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) within the Department of Health Care Access and Information to combat rising health care costs. California will join other states such as Massachusetts, Oregon, and Nevada in implementing a health care cost commission.
legislation
California Governor Signs Bill Further Increasing Oversight of Hospice Agencies
By Leslie Levinson, Danielle Tangorre & Erin Howard on
This fall, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 2673 (the Bill), which amends various sections of the California Health and Safety Code relating to hospice agencies. Among other things, the Bill prohibits hospice agency license transfers; adds requirements for hospice agency license applicants; increases oversight authority by the California State Department of Public Health (the Department); and updates the moratorium on new hospice agency licenses.…
Continue Reading California Governor Signs Bill Further Increasing Oversight of Hospice Agencies
New York Governor Vetoes Act Prohibiting Establishment and Expansion of For-Profit Hospices
By Leslie Levinson, Danielle Tangorre & Erin Howard on
On December 23, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed Assembly Bill Number 8472 entitled “An Act To Amend The Public Health Law, In Relation To The Establishment, Incorporation, Construction, Or Increase In Capacity Of For-Profit Hospice” (the Act). The Act was intended to prohibit the approval, incorporation, or construction of for-profit hospices and would have also prevented any existing for-profit hospices from increasing capacity. The Act would have gone into effect immediately had it not been vetoed.…
New Jersey Governor Signs Act Concerning Changes in Control of Health Care Entities
By Leslie Levinson, Danielle Tangorre & Guest Contributor on
On August 18, 2022, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed S-315, “An Act concerning changes in control of health care entities” (the Act). The Act implements employment protection for healthcare workers when certain licensed health care facilities, staffing registries, and home care services in New Jersey undergo a change in ownership. The Act first requires that former health care entity employers provide the successor health care entity with information pertaining to employees (i.e., employee names, addresses, dates of hire, phone numbers, wage rates, employment classifications) not less than thirty days before a change in control. The Act also requires former health care entity owners to inform eligible employees of the rights provided by the Act and to post a notice of their rights under the Act in a conspicuous location.…
Continue Reading New Jersey Governor Signs Act Concerning Changes in Control of Health Care Entities
New York State Legislature Passes Act Enacting Moratorium on For-Profit Hospices
By Leslie Levinson, Danielle Tangorre & Guest Contributor on
On June 2, 2022, the New York State Legislature passed A08472, “An Act to Amend the Public Health Law, in Relation to the Establishment, Incorporation, Construction, or Increase in Capacity of For-Profit Hospice” (“the Act”). The Act prohibits the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) of the New York Department of Health (DOH) from approving any new applications for the establishment, incorporation, or construction of a for-profit hospice. Additionally, the bill prohibits PHHPC from approving any increases in capacity to existing for-profit hospices in the state. The two current for-profit hospices will remain approved but cannot expand capacity. The Act will now be presented to the Governor for signature. Once signed by the Governor, the Act will become effective immediately.…
Continue Reading New York State Legislature Passes Act Enacting Moratorium on For-Profit Hospices
Connecticut Expands OHS Authority
As we have previously written on, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed into law the state’s budget as Public Act 22-118 (Act), which makes various changes to the Connecticut statutes. Among the changes, the Act expands the authority of Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy (OHS).…
Connecticut Makes Significant Changes to its Collaborative Drug Therapy Laws
As part of Connecticut’s budget implementer bill (Act) signed into law earlier this month, the state made significant revisions to its laws concerning collaborative drug therapy management agreements between pharmacists and certain prescribing practitioners to expand the (1) types of permitted arrangements; (2) prescribers eligible to participate in the collaborative arrangements with pharmacists; and (3) scope of pharmacists’ authority under these arrangements. These revisions are effective as of July 1, 2022.…
Continue Reading Connecticut Makes Significant Changes to its Collaborative Drug Therapy Laws
New Connecticut Laws Include Certificate of Need Changes
By Michael Lisitano & Nathaniel Arden on
Posted in Hospitals and Health Systems, Legislation
On May 7, 2022, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget (HB5506) (Act) which implements the state budget and makes various changes to certain Connecticut statutes. Among the changes, the Act provides various new authorities to the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) and makes modifications to the certificate of need (CON) process in the state.…
Continue Reading New Connecticut Laws Include Certificate of Need Changes
Connecticut Governor Signs Bill Limiting Hospital Billing and Collection Efforts and Revising Connecticut’s Facility Fee Laws
On July 7, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 21-129 entitled “An Act Concerning Hospital Billing and Collection Efforts By Hospitals And Collection Agencies” (“the Act”). The Act expands the types of entities to which billing and collection restrictions apply, places further limitations on collection efforts by such entities, and makes several changes to Connecticut’s existing laws concerning facility fees.
Continue Reading Connecticut Governor Signs Bill Limiting Hospital Billing and Collection Efforts and Revising Connecticut’s Facility Fee Laws
Connecticut Enacts Legislation to Incentivize Adoption of Cybersecurity Safeguards and Expand Breach Reporting Obligations
On June 16, and then on July 6, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed into law a pair of bills that together address privacy and cybersecurity in the state. As cybersecurity risks continue to pose a significant threat to businesses and the integrity of private information, Connecticut joins other states in revisiting its data breach reporting laws to strengthen reporting requirements, and offer protection to businesses that have been the subject of a breach despite implementing cybersecurity safeguards from certain damages in resulting litigation.
Public Act 21-59 “An Act Concerning Data Privacy Breaches” (PA 21-59) modifies Connecticut law addressing data privacy breaches to expand the types of information that are protected in the event of a breach, to shorten the timeframe for reporting a breach, to clarify applicability of the law to anyone who owns, licenses, or maintains computerized data that includes “personal information,” and to create an exception for entities that report breaches in accordance with HIPAA. Public Act 21-119 “An Act Incentivizing the Adoption of Cybersecurity Standards for Businesses” (PA 21-119) correspondingly establishes statutory protection from punitive damages in a tort action alleging that inadequate cybersecurity controls resulted in a data breach against an entity covered by the law if the entity maintained a written cybersecurity program conforming to industry standards (as set forth in PA 21-119).
Both laws take effect October 1, 2021. …
Continue Reading Connecticut Enacts Legislation to Incentivize Adoption of Cybersecurity Safeguards and Expand Breach Reporting Obligations