A recent False Claims Act (FCA) ruling out of Tennessee offers a pointed reminder for hospitals and health systems: physician contracts that appear compliant on paper can still create serious enforcement risk if the economics tell a different story. In
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DOL Proposes Joint Employer Rule: Key Implications for Employers
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed a new joint employer rule that could significantly expand employer liability under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker
A Sliding Door to the Future of Healthcare Enforcement: Will We Soon See DEI-Based False Claims Act Settlements in Healthcare?
The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) first False Claims Act (FCA) settlement under its new Civil Rights Fraud Initiative offers key insight for federal contractors, federal funding recipients and healthcare providers. Under the settlement reached in April 2026, International Business Machines
AI-Enhanced Misappropriation: When Departing Employees Leave with More Than Just Client Lists
Consider the scenario: a higher-up employee uploads six months of internal strategy documents into a generative AI tool, generates a ten-page competitive playbook synthesizing the company’s pricing models, customer relationships, and go-to-market plans, and resigns the next morning. Nothing was
What the FTC’s Ascension/AmSurg Order Means for Nonprofit Healthcare Deals
The Deal
On June 2, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) required nonprofit health system Ascension Health Alliance to divest several ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) as a condition of closing its proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of AmSurg LLC. The order
When a Third‑Party Investigator Is the Smart Move
Choosing the right investigator for a workplace complaint is one of the most consequential decisions an employer will make once concerns are raised. Whether the investigation is conducted internally by an HR team member or by a neutral third‑party investigator
New York Joins the Growing Wave of States Restricting Credit Checks in Employment
A new amendment to New York’s Fair Credit Reporting Act has significantly restricted employers’ use of consumer credit history in employment decisions. The amendment follows the lead of New York City’s existing Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act, which already
Fair Warning: HHS OIG’s New FAQs Caution that Fair Market Value and Stark-Compliant Arrangements Can Nonetheless Violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute
Fair market value arrangements and those that satisfy an exception to the physician self-referral law (Stark Law) can nonetheless violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). That is the message of two recent updates the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Religious Accommodations in the Post-Groff Era: Navigating the Supreme Court’s “Substantial Increased Cost” Standard
According to the EEOC, religious discrimination charges have increased steadily over the past decade. Post-Groff, the stakes for getting accommodation decisions wrong have never been higher. Whether you’re fielding a request for schedule flexibility, dress code exceptions, or vaccination exemptions,
No Remuneration, No Problem: Favorable OIG Advisory Opinion Highlights Important Guardrails for Clinical Laboratories Affiliated with Urgent Care Clinics
Management service organizations (MSOs) with affiliated clinical labs and urgent care clinics should take note of newly identified guardrails that will facilitate their compliance with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human