Legal & Regulatory Issues

The American Hospital Association applauded the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' decision to exempt hospitals and other healthcare organizations that participate in Medicare from separate compliance training requirements under Medicare Advantage program in a letter addressed to Acting CMS…

Texas health officials may lift a requirement mandating that all emergency room in the state have a physician on site at all times, according to a report by the Star-Telegram.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago has announced that it plans to disclose the business relationships of its more than 2,000 faculty members, according to a report by Crain's Chicago Business.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida reported that Manatee Hospitals and Health System has informed the insurer that it would terminate contracts for its two hospitals, effective Jan. 1, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released interim recommendations for imaging facilities and providers to address concerns regarding excess radiation exposure during CT scans, which is currently under investigation by the agency, according to an FDA news release.

A survey by the Associated Press showed that 54 percent of Americans agree that limiting medical liability lawsuits is key to successful healthcare reform, according to a report in American Medical News.

A provision in the 2005 tax bill will require the Internal Revenue Service to begin withholding 3 percent of Medicare payments to healthcare providers as early as 2012, according to a report by American Medical News.

Connolly Healthcare, the Medicare recovery audit contractor for Region C, has updated its CMS approved audit issues for RAC review, according to Connolly Healthcare's Web site.

Proposed regulations endorsed by the N.J. Attorney General would bar physicians in the state from accepting any kind of gifts and would require them to report all but the smallest income from pharmaceutical and device companies, according to a release…

The Food and Drug Administration is warning medical facilities to stop using the Steris System 1 Processor because the product has been significantly modified and the FDA has not approved the modified version, according to a notice by the FDA.