Massachusetts: Relief Funds For Nursing Home & Other Long-term Care Facilities Fighting COVID-19
4/27/20
By: Janet Barringer and William Gildea
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced on April 27, 2020 the Commonwealth will allocate $130 Million to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in Massachusetts to assist in the ongoing battle against COVID-19. The …
State Governments Extend Limited Immunity to Healthcare Providers Engaged in Treatment of Coronavirus
4/17/20
By: Shaun Daugherty, Erin Lamb and Andy Treese
As doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other
healthcare providers have thrown themselves wholly into the challenge of
fighting the coronavirus, some have asked whether they are exposed to new or
additional …
Nursing Homes at Highest Risk, States Respond
4/1/20
By: Shaun M. Daugherty
States across the country are taking every measure possible to fight the spreading deadly COVID-19. One of the most at-risk groups are the elderly, especially those with lengthy lists of other health problems. In those instances …
Federal Government Issues New CMS Guidance To Protect Nursing Home Residents From COVID-19
3/30/20
By: Kevin G. Kenneally, Michael P. Giunta and William E. Gildea
Nursing
home and skilled nursing facilities have been particularly hard hit by the
COVID-19 virus. The resident populations
are uniquely vulnerable and outbreaks in facilities nationwide have sparked
…
HHS Waives Some HIPAA Sanctions During the Coronavirus Pandemic
3/20/20
By: David Cole
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued two important bulletins this week in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Each one announced that OCR will temporarily waive certain sanctions and penalties for noncompliance with HIPAA Rules to …
U.S. Department of Labor Issues COVID-19 Guidance on FLSA and FMLA
3/20/20
By: Catherine Scott
As the federal government continues to grapple with questions from employers regarding COVID-19, the federal agencies have begun to roll out new guidance. The latest comes from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), which has issued guidance …
What Rhode Island Employers Should Know About COVID-19
3/19/20
By: Jennifer Markowski and Catherine Scott
Governor Gina Raimondo has declared a state of emergency in the state of Rhode Island and implemented certain measures, such as the closing of public schools through April 3, that have a direct effect …
COVID-19 Closes Schools Across the United States: United States Department of Education Releases New Guidance for Schools During Coronavirus Outbreak
3/19/20
By: Tia J. Combs
Many schools across the county have closed or are operating virtually due to the COVID-19 outbreak. On March 12, 2020, the US Department of Education released two documents with new guidance for schools and educators faced …
COVID-19: What Medical Inquiries Can Employers Make?
3/16/20
By: Jennifer Markowski
Last week, Brad Adler, addressed FAQ’s (and Answers) for Employers Dealing with the Coronavirus, COVID-19. Subsequent to that article, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Consequently, employers should follow …
Some Potential Certainty in an Outcome in an Uncertain Medical Malpractice World
7/12/19
By: Shaun Daugherty
Medical malpractice claims can be dangerous in front of a jury and some recent Georgia verdicts are proof of that. In Georgia, as many other states, medical doctors typically have consent clauses in their professional liability policies …
Amendments make the difference for opioid prescription writers in the recently passed House Bill 551
4/25/19
By: Shaun Daugherty
Several years ago in Georgia, the Legislature passed a law requiring anyone with a DEA registration number to enroll and become a user of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (“PDMP”) no later than January 2018. For those …
Office of Inspector General Approves Warranty Program for Medical Device Manufacturer
11/5/18
By: Ali Sabzevari
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General recently approved a medical device manufacturer’s proposed warranty program, which provides a refund to the hospital at which a patient underwent joint replacement surgery using the …