As vaccine distribution becomes widespread, and employees begin to return to work, we continue to field questions related to return-to-office plans in a post pandemic world. We previously compiled a list of FAQs, addressing COVID-19 safety protocols (here, here and here) that should be considered as the workplace opens for business. Below are some additional, and recent, considerations related to this topic. Continue Reading Opening for Business? Your Return-to-Work Policies Answered
In today’s episode of Hospice Insights: The Law and Beyond, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by colleagues Bryan Nowicki and Erin Burns to discuss the recent denial of physician visits. Over the last several months, a number of auditors have begun questioning the medical necessity of billed physician visits, claiming the physician services were solely administrative in nature. They break down the criteria auditors appear to be using, what this means for hospices and how hospices can avoid such denials. We hope you enjoy the conversation: https://bit.ly/3wUGeus
Missouri’s Senate advanced Senate Bill 63 this week in a move to become the last state in the Nation to create a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (“PDMP”). The bill would establish a Joint Oversight Task Force for Prescription Drug Monitoring, if adopted by the House of Representatives and signed by Governor Parson. Continue Reading Missouri Last in the Nation to Roll Out Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
The increase in physician practice mergers and acquisitions across most specialties is projected to continue for the foreseeable future. Healthcare attorneys Joe Geraci and Kate Bechen present alongside Brian Teefey, CPA and Corey Palasota of Weaver on a webinar addressing a multitude of transaction considerations including strategic, legal and financial. Register today: https://lnkd.in/emMy_xp
As businesses begin to reintegrate employees into their pre-pandemic workplaces, many of our clients have questions regarding return-to-work issues. In this edition of Funny You Should Ask, we address two questions many of our clients have asked during the past week. The answers below focus on compliance with federal law. As always, employers will need to take state and local laws into consideration in addition to federal law. Continue Reading Funny You Should Ask: Not So Common Employment Questions
On February 25, 2021, the Wisconsin Legislature enacted 2021 Wisconsin Act 4 (the “Act”), which, in part, grants immunity to business entities from civil liability related to COVID-19 exposure, with certain exceptions.
Specifically, the Act immunizes certain entities from civil liability for any act or omission in the course of performance or provision of the entity’s function or services, that leads to death or injury to an individual or damages caused by an act or omission resulting from or relating to exposure directly or indirectly to COVID-19 (or its variants), or conditions associated with the infectious disease. However, civil immunity does not extend to acts or omissions that are reckless, wanton conduct, or intentional misconduct. Continue Reading Wisconsin Business Entities Granted Civil Immunity for COVID-19 Exposure
Over the coming months, we can expect to see many significant changes to labor issues affecting healthcare and other sectors of our marketplace. The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) is almost certain to reinstate the standards of what constitutes an appropriate bargaining unit as set forth in a 2011 case, Specialty Healthcare, allowing unions to target smaller groups of employees to organize. This case has encouraged Union organizing of Micro-Units in various settings, especially healthcare. The Board had overruled that decision in 2017, PCC Structurals, Inc., and returned to “community of interest” analysis which reviewed whether the unit employees “share a community of interest sufficiently distinct from the interest of employees excluded from the petition-for group to warrant finding that the purposed group constitutes as separate bargaining unit.” To learn more about what this may mean to you, please visit Husch Blackwell’s Labor Relations Law Insider blog: https://bit.ly/3m4qZtQ
As more businesses begin to reintegrate employees into their pre-pandemic workplaces, many of our clients have questions regarding return-to-work issues. In this edition of Funny You Should Ask, we address three questions many of our clients have asked during the past week. The answers below focus on compliance with federal law. As always, employers will need to take state and local laws into consideration in addition to federal law. Continue Reading Funny You Should Ask: Not So Common Employment Questions
You may recall on December 10, 2020 we wrote about the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announcement of a proposed rule that would revise the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations. In the proposed rule, HHS has solicited public comments, that were originally due within 60-days of the proposed rule publication in the Federal Register. Continue Reading Health and Human Services Extends Comment Deadline for Proposed Rule on HIPAA Privacy to May 6, 2021
As mandated by President Biden’s January 21 Executive Order, OSHA has announced a National Emphasis Program (NEP) designed to protect workers from contracting COVID-19. On March 12, 2021, OSHA announced its new national emphasis program that targets high-risk establishments in high-risk industries for programmed inspections and provides a heightened focus on employers that retaliate against employees who report or complain about unsafe working environments. In conjunction with the NEP, OSHA also issued an updated Interim Enforcement Plan to provide guidance on the policies and procedures it will employ to reduce and eliminate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace. The issuance of the NEP is a strong indication that OSHA enforcement activity will increase in the short term. Continue Reading OSHA Enforcement Activity Relating to COVD-19 Exposures Expected to Increase Under New NEP and Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan