Legal & Regulatory Issues

Changes to the Stark law go into effect on Oct. 1, and many physician-hospital arrangements could fall out of compliance if physicians are not prepared for these changes, according to a report in American Medical News.

Dralves Edwards, MD, a Dallas family physician, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, according to a release from Dr. Edwards.

President Karen Ignagni of America's Health Insurance Plans praises the health reform bill introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), but with a few caveats, according to a recent letter that Ms. Ignagni sent Sen. Baucus.

The Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency rejected a proposal by two Knoxville, Tenn., urology groups to open a radiation therapy center after critics argued the physicians would make huge profits off the center and threaten the financial stability of…

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 51-0 to include an amendment to the House' healthcare reform bill, HR 3200, that would require greater price transparency from hospitals and health insurers, according to a news release from the American…

Eleven more California hospitals have been issued administration penalties by the state's Department of Public Health after it was determined that facilities' noncompliance with requirements of licensure caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients, according…

Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians has agreed to drop a surcharge added to patients' bills for receiving late-night care at five hospital emergency rooms in the Boston area, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix has agreed to pay $675,000 to settle an alleged Medicare coding violation, according to a report by the Phoenix Business Journal.

Timothy J. McClure was sworn in as the new deputy director of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, according to a report in Inside Indiana Business.

The Senate Finance Committee worked through issues related to proposed reductions in funding to Medicare during the second day of mark up on the Senate's healthcare reform bill, proposed by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), according to a report in the…