Legal & Regulatory Issues

Barack Obama was re-elected president of the United States last night, meaning his 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will continue its course toward nearly full implementation by 2014.

Orthofix International, a manufacturer of spinal implants, has agreed to a $30 million settlement to resolve claims that a subsidiary paid kickbacks to spine surgeons in exchange for orders.

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction that shields a Michigan business from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's requirement to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives to female employees, according to a New York Times report.  

Joplin, Mo.-based Freeman Health System has agreed to a $9.3 settlement to resolve allegations that it knowingly compensated physicians in a manner that violated the Stark Law and False Claims Act.

The American Medical Association has filed a friend-of-the-court brief, opposing Florida's attempt to restore a law that would prohibit physicians from asking patients about whether they have guns in their homes.

CMS has updated the Home Health Prospective Payment System rates for calendar year 2013, which translates to a $10 million decrease (0.01 percent) in payments to home health agencies.

Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol, Pa., will close its cardiac rehabilitation unit by the end of the month, according to a PhillyBurbs.com report.

The deadline to set up a federal health insurance marketplace before 2014 — a key component of the healthcare reform law — has pushed the Obama administration to rely on outside contractors, leaving little time to scrutinize private sector partners…

Key healthcare issues are appearing on certain state ballots for tomorrow's election, including a proposition to prohibit health insurance exchanges and an initiative to legalize physician-assisted suicide, among others.

Laboratory samples from two additional recalled products from the New England Compounding Center have tested positive for bacterial contamination, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.