By Pauline W. Markey, Esq. on Posted in Guest Contributor,Medical Marijuana,TrendsGenerally, medical marijuana dispensaries are not allowed to deduct expenses for federal income tax purposes because buying and selling marijuana, even for medical reasons, is considered “trafficking in illegal drugs.” Such dispensaries, however, are allowed to offset income by cost of goods sold (“COGS”) if they maintain sufficiently reliable records to allow the IRS to… Continue Reading
By Marie Turnbull on Posted in Guest Contributor,HIPAA,Privacy,SecurityOn August 21, 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The original purpose of the Act, which amended the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, was to improve the portability and continuity of health insurance coverage, combat waste, fraud, and abuse, promote the use… Continue Reading
By Joel Ascher on Posted in Guest Contributor,Technology,TelemedicineWith the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, millions of newly insured patients have entered the health care market, bringing attention to the need for expanded access to services. Meanwhile, rapid advancements in the use of high-speed data transmission have paved the way toward using Internet technology to alleviate this problem, while addressing numerous inefficiencies… Continue Reading
By Philip Nimoityn, M.D. on Posted in Guest Contributor,Medical Tourism,TrendsMedical tourism is the term used to describe the movement of patients across international borders in pursuit of medical care and treatment. While in the United States the term is usually associated with Americans leaving the country in search of low-cost treatments — particularly cosmetic surgery, dental care, fertility treatments, and heart surgery — the… Continue Reading
By Emily Hart on Posted in FTC,Guest Contributor,MergersThis week, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General (“Attorney General”) publicly opposed the anticipated merger between Penn State Hershey Medical Center (“Penn State Hershey”) and PinnacleHealth System (“PinnacleHealth”). This partnership would be one of the biggest health care mergers Central Pennsylvania has ever experienced. The FTC and Attorney… Continue Reading
By Philip Nimoityn, M.D. on Posted in Guest Contributor,Physician Perspectives,TrendsConcierge medicine is a relatively new, but rapidly growing and evolving supplement to traditional medical care. A concierge physician charges an annual retainer fee that provides the patient with additional services that are not covered by insurance, but which enhance accessibility, the amount of time spent with the physician, and hopefully a much more personalized… Continue Reading
By Emily Hart on Posted in Guest Contributor,Legislation,Medicaid,MedicareOn Tuesday, August 4, Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn) and Bill Cassidy (R-La) introduced The Mental Health Reform Act of 2015. The bill proposes reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, introduces new grant programs, and enhances the federal government’s commitments to integrating physical and mental health and improving mental health services. According to Murphy, the bill will… Continue Reading
By Brandon Danz, M.P.A. on Posted in FDA,Guest Contributor,Legislation,Prescription Drugs and Medical DevicesOn Friday, July 10th the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to streamline the approval process of prescription drugs and medical devices by the FDA. If passed in the Senate and signed by President Obama, the “21st Century Cures Act” (the “Act”) would foster significant regulatory changes in the introduction of new drugs to the market. The… Continue Reading
By Anthony Knapp on Posted in Accountable Care Organizations,Guest Contributor,MedicareThis month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a final rule (the “Final Rule”) regarding an update to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (the “Program”). The Final Rule will seek to enhance primary care services, reduce administrative burdens, and provide flexibility in the Program in order to maintain and enhance participation in… Continue Reading
By Anthony Knapp on Posted in Affordable Care Act (ACA),Guest Contributor,Legislation,Medicaid,RegulationsThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has issued a new proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) intended to “modernize Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care regulations to update the programs’ rules and strengthen the delivery of quality care for beneficiaries.” As CMS continues it mission toward creating better care, smarter… Continue Reading
By Anthony Knapp on Posted in Guest Contributor,MedicareOn March 25, 2015, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), launched the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network (the “Network”), an ambitious private-public partnership designed to further move the health care system away from quantity-based care and closer to value-based, quality-driven care. The Network is being established to “help the U.S. health… Continue Reading
By Brandon Danz, M.P.A. on Posted in Guest Contributor,Legislation,Trends Each year over 1,500 individuals in the United States die while waiting for a liver transplantation. Another 1,500 candidates are removed from waiting lists because they are deemed too medically frail to receive a liver. Some reformers believe that these figures can be reduced by changing administrative procedures used to determine how organs are… Continue Reading
By Mary H. White, MD on Posted in Guest Contributor,Physician Perspectives This is the story of how lawyers are fighting the cholera epidemic in Haiti. I am a physician with a subspecialty in infectious diseases. Since 2003, I have periodically travelled to Haiti to deliver basic medical care in underserved areas. I was also in Haiti two months after the earthquake that devastated the country… Continue Reading
By Mary H. White, MD on Posted in Guest Contributor,Physician PerspectivesOn a personal basis, my experiences with attorneys have been confined to generally unpleasant but necessary conversations about money and real estate, all of which are memorialized in hourly fees. However, in my human rights work as a physician, I have valued, if not treasured, my interactions with the attorneys with whom I work. Since 2005,… Continue Reading
