Earlier this week, in Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York v. Sebelius, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in the Eastern District of New York permanently enjoined the government from enforcing regulations mandating coverage for contraceptive and sterilization services by religious organization health plans.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires health insurance plans
In U.S. ex rel. Fair Laboratory Practices Associates v. Quest Diagnostic, Inc., the Second Circuit upheld the dismissal of a health care fraud qui tam action because of ethical violations by one of the relators, who was formerly general counsel of defendant Unilab Corporation.
The former general counsel, along with two other former employees
On October 2, 2013, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed into law the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the “Act”). The Act, which amends New York City’s Human Rights Law, prohibits employers from discriminating against workers who are pregnant or have a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and requires employers to provide a
(This post was authored by Heather Harrison, an associate in the Labor & Employment practice at Farrell Fritz)
Although key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been delayed until 2015, one important notice requirement is just around the corner. By October 1, 2013, virtually all employers must provide
In U.S. ex rel. Wolfson v. Park Avenue Medical Associates, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York entered into a $1 million False Claims Act settlement against three related companies for improperly billing Medicare for behavioral health services. The settlement agreement provided that the defendants “admit, acknowledge and accept responsibility
A bill proposed in the US House of Representatives may cause physicians to significantly restructure their practices as they relate to in-office ancillary services (IOAS).
Promoting Integrity in Medicare Act of 2013
The Stark Law is a federal statute which prohibits physicians from making referrals for Medicare-covered designated health services (DHS) to an entity with
New York Health Law Blog contributor and Farrell Fritz associate Veronique Urban and bankruptcy partner Ted Berkowitz take a close look at the Peninsula Hospital Center bankruptcy in the September 2013 American Bankruptcy Institute Journal. Peninsula Hospital’s bankruptcy case illustrates the various elements that make health care and hospital bankruptcy cases so different from other
Earlier this month, a bill to amend the False Claims Act (“FCA”), the “Fairness in Health Care Claims, Guidance and Investigations Act,” was introduced in the House of Representatives. According to one of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC), the bill’s purpose is to ensure that unintentional billing disputes are not penalized as
Is your office photocopy machine a HIPAA time-bomb? Affinity Health Plan recently learned that the answer is yes, to the tune of a $1.2 million settlement with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Affinity is a not-for-profit managed care organization which includes one of the New York metropolitan
On May 29, 2013, the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury issued final regulations regarding wellness programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”). Wellness programs are programs offered by employers, or directly by insurance companies to their enrollees, to improve health and promote fitness. The ACA, in