On December 1, 2009, the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Dr. Jorge A. Martinez, an anesthesiologist, who was charged with illegally distributing controlled substances, mail fraud, wire fraud, and healthcare fraud, including two counts that resulted in the death of patients. In 2002, the FBI began investigating Dr. Martinez’s…
Requirements for Medicare coverage of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services will undergo a number of changes, effective January 1, 2010. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a transmittal on October 23, 2009 detailing these changes, which include several new requirements for the patient admission process and ongoing recordkeeping. Admission will…
The Health Law Partners, P.C. is growing. We recently exercised the option to expand into neighboring office space in our Southfield headquarters. We’ve also added staff, and are pleased to welcome attorney Adele Jorissen as a new associate. Adele has previous healthcare law experience, and will be practicing in all…
Oral arguments began on November 3, 2009 in a case that will test whether defendants in medical liability lawsuits are permitted under HIPAA to conduct informal interviews with plaintiffs’ other treating doctors. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects private health information and preserves patient confidentiality. In…
The Harris County Hospital District of Houston fired 16 employees last month for a major violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects confidential patient information. The hospital district has not disclosed additional details about the violation, instead issuing a statement saying, “The Harris County Hospital…
Medicare published the 2010 Fee Schedule in the Federal Register today. This new final rule reflects changes to the physician fee schedule and other Medicare Part B payment policies. The full text of the rule can be found here. For more information on how these changes might affect you, contact…
Health Net became the latest company that lost data containing personal, financial and medical information of hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents. The data disappeared from Health Net in May, but the company never informed consumers (or authorities) about the breach of privacy until about two weeks ago (a six-month…
On November 23, 2009, CMS sent a notice delaying implementation of its registration requirements for the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) which affects physicians and non-physician practitioners who order items or services for Medicare beneficiaries or who refer Medicare beneficiaries to other Medicare providers or suppliers, providing…
On November 10, 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to update the Medicare Home Health Prospective Payment rates for the 2010 calendar year (the “Final Rule”). The Final Rule continues with the previously promulgated 2.75 percent reduction to the home health prospective payment…
At the request of certain members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has extended the enforcement date of the Red Flags Rule to June 1, 2010. Originally intended to be enforced on November 1, 2008, the FTC has delayed the enforcement date a number of times to ensure that…