Signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 9, 2023 and effective January 1, 2024, new legislation allows certain interested parties to have access to information from the Washington Security Department, the state agency who administers the paid family and medical leave program, regarding an employee’s leave including:
Fraud in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and durable medical equipment industries is significant and contributes substantially to rising healthcare costs. President Biden spoke passionately about it in his State of the Union address.
Sadly, fraud was pervasive during the COVID pandemic.
Some typical fraudulent schemes and techniques we have experienced in government healthcare programs include:
The Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Laws
New laws in Seattle and Washington State allow certain gig workers greater access to traditional employee benefits.
Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Leave
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed into law the App-Based Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time Ordinance on March 29, 2023. Among other things, this law requires that app-based workers accrue at least one day of paid sick
Inside and outside healthcare counsel should know that the way they guide clients through legal and business issues may need to change based on a recent Ninth Circuit case governing the protections afforded to attorney-client communications, In re Grand Jury.[1] The following update and insights will help you mitigate against the risk of attorney-client emails being produced in litigation:
The New Year energizes us to plan for success in the coming months. To increase the odds of meeting your business goals, we suggest taking a quick inventory of legal risks and brainstorming corrective actions for 2023. While important, legal risks may not seem urgent until a related problem impacts your business (i.e., you are subject to litigation, a business
The Washington State Legislature has again amended the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act. This amendment is effective June 9, 2022. Here is a list of the most significant changes to the law:
Is your medical practice ready for the continued fast-growing use of remote technology to deliver healthcare services? Even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals and clinics to shift to new ways to ensure patients received the proper care, telehealth services were on the rise.Yet it was the pandemic that has accelerated the shift of telehealth into what seems to be
Front- and back office healthcare professionals know just how stressful their workplace can be on a normal, pre-pandemic day. But 18 months and counting of COVID-19 affecting nearly every aspect of life, it’s been a difficult road for medical clinic staff especially. Nerves are frayed, people are on edge, and everyone’s base level of everyday stress has leveled up.
But
Patient referrals are an integral part of healthcare, providing seamless and continuous care as laid out in the patient’s treatment plan, so the patient sees the right specialist at the appropriate time.
But anyone working in healthcare knows that it doesn’t always play out this way in medical practices.
According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, of the 105 million
On July 1, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued new regulations[1] (the “Regulations”) effective immediately that more narrowly limit the circumstances under which instances of unauthorized access to medical information have to be reported to CDPH. The new regulations also give CDPH more discretion to adjust penalties for violations. The Regulations complement Section 1280.15