The New Jersey Out-of-Network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment and Accountability Act (the “Law”), New Jersey’s “surprise” medical billing law, went into effect on August 30, 2018.  Among other things, it requires licensed health care professionals in New Jersey (including, but not limited to, physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners) that bill health benefits plans issued or delivered in New Jersey (“NJ Health Plans”) to make certain patient disclosures regarding participation in such plans.  Additional…

On October 24, 2018, Congress enacted a new anti-kickback law that applies to many commercial health insurance plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid.  The law, known as the “Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018” (the “Law”), was passed as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which generally targets the national opioid crisis. The Law makes it a criminal offense to do any of the following: Solicit or receive any remuneration…

The New Jersey Out-of-Network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment and Accountability Act takes effect today, August 30, 2018, and requires all licensed health care professionals in New Jersey (including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, among others) who bill health benefits plans issued or delivered in New Jersey to provide certain disclosures to patients enrolled in such Plans. The Act also contains additional obligations for physicians, including with respect to billing certain out-of-network services.  For more…

CMS recently issued its proposed changes to the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which include a controversial change to the reimbursement rates for Level 2-5 evaluation and management (E/M) services and some notable changes to the Quality Payment Program.  This post highlights some key aspects of the Proposed Rule that will affect medical practices. CMS views the Rule as one of “several proposed rules that reflect a broader Administration-wide strategy to create a healthcare system…

This is the second installment in a new series on the Physician Law Blog entitled “Small Doses” designed to provide you with quick updates on meaningful issues.  We will continue to provide you with detailed updates on significant topics which we think are worth your time to read.  The purpose of “Small Doses” is to give you just enough information regarding a topic to have a general understanding of its import in a quick, easy…

This is the first installment in a new series on the Physician Law Blog entitled “Small Doses” designed to provide you with quick updates on meaningful issues.  We will continue to provide you with detailed updates on significant topics which we think are worth your time to read.  The purpose of “Small Doses” is to give you just enough information regarding a topic to have a general understanding of its import in a quick, easy…

In April, the FDA released its “Medical Device Safety Action Plan,” a short to mid-term vision for increasing the safety of medical devices.  In it, the FDA acknowledges that enhancements and changes in its approach to device safety are necessary to ensure that it is “vigilant” in keeping up with the developments in the complexity and number of medical devices. Key to the FDA’s new approach is focusing on the “Total Product Life Cycle (TPLC)”…