As we briefed in early December, CMS published a proposed rule (Proposed Rule), at 79 Fed. Reg. 72760, containing many changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) that, if adopted, will have a significant impact on existing accountable care
On Monday, December 29, 2014, the Treasury Department adopted a Final Rule governing the charging and debt collection practices of tax-exempt hospitals.
The Final Rule has four main provisions:
CMS is reducing Medicare payments by 1% to more than 700 hospitals in fiscal year 2015 as part of a federal penalty program designed to reduce hospital-acquired medical conditions and improve patient safety.
CMS has announced that approximately 724 hospitals
The Chinese government recently announced guidelines for the easing of market access barriers in a number of industries. The medical and healthcare industry has been identified as one of these key sectors.
The new regulations aim to encourage more private
The monthly newsletter will provide a quick overview of legal issues affecting food safety, including the enactment of new statutes and regulations and significant case law developments, in the US and abroad.
In this issue:
On December 9, 2014, the US House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee held a hearing on options to curb Federal health care spending. The hearing was entitled “Setting Fiscal Priorities: Reforming Health Spending and Strengthening Our Future.”
The Subcommittee’s
The possible introduction of a United States-type False Claims Act (FCA) in Australia will see a sharp increase in allegations of fraudulent conduct in many industries, particularly for those in the pharmaceutical industry.
The cost of fraud to
The Agricultural Growth Act (Bill C-18) was recently passed by Canada’s House of Commons and is now in its final stages of becoming law. It has passed second reading in the Senate and was referred to the Senate
Tim Hortons Inc. has agreed to be purchased by Burger King Worldwide, Inc., which would create the third-largest fast food company in the world with estimated combined sales around $23 billion USD and restaurants in 100 countries (reported here).
In early December 2014, an outbreak of H5N2 strain of avian influenza was found in BC. To date, eight chicken and turkey farms have been affected, and more than 140,000 turkeys and chickens are to be euthanized. The outbreak marks