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In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced a $480,000 settlement with a Louisiana medical group following a phishing incident. In 2021, the medical group filed a breach report with HHS stating that a hacker – through a...

Take the time now to ensure your new job—and contract—will add to, not detract from, your quality of life.

On November 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced an $80,000 HIPAA settlement with Saint Joseph’s Medical Center (“SJMC”) in New York State. The settlement was the result of OCR’s investigation of SJMC after the Associated Press...

In early November, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) released its General Compliance Program Guidance (the Guidance). This was HHS OIG’s first update since 2008. What You Need to Know: This is the first compliance compendium released by HHS...

On Halloween, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a $100,000 settlement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) with Doctors’ Management Services (DMS), a Massachusetts medical management company that provides...

In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Advisory Opinion 23-07 and approved a plan by a multi-specialty physician practice to pay its employed physicians bonuses related to net profits derived from outpatient procedures...

On September 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement with LA Care related to potential violations of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). LA Care is the largest publicly operated health plan in the...

In late August, the HHS Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") announced an $80,000 settlement with United Healthcare Insurance Company ("United") relating to OCR's right of access initiative (the "Initiative") which requires that patients be able to access their health information in a timely manner...

​The HHS Office of Inspector General issued an 'unfavorable' advisory opinion in August with respect to a proposed joint venture relating to interoperative neuro monitoring. Parties considering joint ventures and those in joint ventures should review the OIG analysis to assess compliance with...

The Nuts and Bolts of Locums An introductory webinar on getting started in the independent practice of emergency medicine, including a discussion on five important details that are often missed when negotiating a locums contract: What is the “bill rate” for the client? What is the margin for the...

​The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement on June 28, 2023 of potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules with iHealth Solutions, LLC (doing business as Advantum...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently announced two settlements with HIPAA-covered entities – one in Washington State and one in New Jersey with settlements of $240,000 and $30,000, respectively. In the Washington State settlement, hospital...

​The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create various forms of media raises interesting legal issues relating to the protection of intellectual property. Generative AI is being used to create songs that have vocals and other characteristics that mimic the sound and style of famous musicians...

If you are the owner or co-owner of a small to medium-size medical practice, dental practice, or other health care concern, you have probably never thought of your practice as the type of vehicle that can be used to launder money—not much revenue in the form of cash, too much regulatory oversight...