Supreme Court rules equitable tolling cannot be used to extend deadline for filing Medicare Part A reimbursement appeals *

USA - February 5 2013
On January 21, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held in Sebelius v. Auburn Regional Medical Center that the Medicare statute does not permit…

Co-authors: Judith A. (Judy) Waltz, Chris E. Rossman, Jeffrey R. Bates, Donald H. Romano .

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HHS issues final omnibus HIPAA/HITECH rule *

USA - January 24 2013
On January 17, 2013, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the long-awaited omnibus final…

Co-authors: M. Leeann Habte, Lawrence W. (Larry) Vernaglia, Leigh C. Riley, Michael H. Woolever, Jeffrey R. Bates.

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First-ever HIPAA settlement involving fewer than 500 patients announced *

USA - January 8 2013
On January 2, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a settlement with the Hospice of North Idaho (HONI) for potential…

Co-authors: Peter F. McLaughlin, M. Leeann Habte, Danna Carmi, Richard K. Rifenbark.

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Office of Civil Rights releases guidance on de-identification of PHI under HIPAA privacy rule *

USA - December 4 2012
On November 26, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released long-overdue guidance on how covered entities subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can de-identify protected health information (PHI) for research, comparative effectiveness studies, policy assessment, life sciences research, and other secondary uses.

Co-authors: James R. (Jim) Kalyvas, Alexandre C. Nisenbaum, M. Leeann Habte.

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California’s Medi-cal program implements Affordable Care Act fraud, waste, and abuse provisions *

USA - November 27 2012
On September 29, 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that gives the California Department of Health Care Services, the state agency which implements the California Medi-Cal (Medicaid) program, the authority to implement certain fraud, waste, and abuse requirements of the 2010 federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referenced as the federal health care reform law).

Co-authors: Elizabeth S. Elson , Judith A. (Judy) Waltz, Danna Carmi, Anil Shankar .

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