In federal criminal investigations, corporate health care providers have faced a Department of Justice increasingly focused on individuals, one that has limited or foreclosed cooperation credit for corporations not providing complete information on all individual involvement. At a conference in late November, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein outlined a modification of these stringent guidelines, to
2018
Marijuana Regulation in New York – A Look Forward to 2019
The Compassionate Care Act has expanded and changed each year since Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed it into law in 2014 and 2018 was no different.
Among others, one big change that was made to the Medical Marijuana Program was the addition of opioid replacement as a qualifying condition[1] for medical marijuana. As a…
Medicaid Providers: Don’t Forget to Include Your Annual Compliance Program Certification to Your Holiday “To-Do” List.

As New Yorkers are preparing for Thanksgiving and the official start to the holiday season (although some could argue it started a month ago), required Medicaid providers should also be reviewing their Compliance Programs in preparation to submit their Annual Provider Compliance Program Certification to the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General…
Newly Enacted Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program Advertisement Regulation Challenged in Federal Court

As recounted in our recent analysis of the 2018-19 New York State Budget (“Enacted Budget”), the Enacted Budget included new restrictions on fiscal intermediaries participating in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (“CDPAP”) designed to prevent the dissemination of “false or misleading” advertisements. Effective April 1, 2018, the newly enacted § 365-f(4-c) of the…
What Happened on Election Day – and What It Means for Healthcare Policy in New York State

As pundits continue to argue about the nature and extent of the “Blue Wave” that did or did not wash across the country this past Election Day, its impact in New York State was undeniable. What happened in New York on Tuesday was notable for several reasons. First, according to the New York State…
NY Court of Appeals Strikes Down DOH Limits On Use Of Private Funds For Executive Compensation And Upholds Limits On Use Of Public Funds
Last week, in LeadingAge New York, Inc. v. Shah, the New York Court of Appeals addressed Department of Health regulations limiting executive compensation and administrative expenditures by healthcare providers receiving state funds. The Court upheld limits related to state funding, but struck down a limit that applied regardless of the source of funding.
In…
Should New York State Require Hospitals To Insure Medical Malpractice Claims?

New York State does not require hospitals to insure medical malpractice claims, either through the purchase of commercial medical malpractice insurance or the establishment of an adequately funded self-insurance program. New York has never required such insurance. There are many hospitals which did not insure medical malpractice claims in the past, and a number…
N.Y. Court of Appeals Reinstates Justice Center’s Oversight of Provider Agencies

Earlier this Summer, the Court of Appeals overturned the Appellate Division Third Department’s (the “Third Department”) unanimous decision in The Matter of Anonymous v. Molik, where it ruled that the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with…
Second Circuit Answers First-To-File Question: Amended Complaint Cannot Save Later-Filed FCA Action
In United States ex rel. Wood v. Allergan, Inc., the Second Circuit addressed the issue of whether a violation of the False Claims Act’s “first-to-file” rule compels dismissal of an action or whether it can be cured by the filing of an amended or supplemental pleading. The Court’s acceptance of the interlocutory appeal was…
Community Health Centers Receive Quality Improvement Grants

Just over one year ago, I wrote about the Department of Health and Human Service’s (“HHS”) $105 million award to support 1,333 federally qualified health centers (“Health Centers”) across the United States improve the quality of comprehensive care provided to patients. It seems like déjà vu, as it was announced last month that HHS…