Applicable Provider Types: All

Is Your Entity in Compliance?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as modified by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HIPAA) requires covered entities and their business associates to implement policies and procedures to prevent, detect, contain and correct security violations. Under

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released data on its 2023 settlements of voluntary self-disclosures related to past violations or potential violations of the physician self-referral law (the Stark Law). In 2023, CMS settled an agency record 176 self-disclosures, with settlement amounts totaling over $12,000,000 in the aggregate. Both totals exceeded its prior records, set the prior year, when CMS settled 103 self-disclosures with settlement amounts totaling over $9,000,000 in the aggregate as we reported last fall.

On Feb. 21, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the first four subsectors for which it will publish industry segment-specific compliance program guidance. Guidance published in 2024 will focus on Medicare Advantage and nursing facilities. Subsequent guidance will focus on hospitals and clinical laboratories.

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For over 100 years, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has been developing model legislation to encourage uniformity among states for the regulation of insurance products.  The NAIC model laws and guidelines are proposed statements of insurance regulation for all 50 states as well as the other jurisdictions (such as D.C. and Guam).  Once passed, states can choose to adhere to the NAIC’s model laws fully, with modifications, or not at all.  If a state chooses to adopt the model law, its adoption will apply to all insurance carriers, managing general agents, agencies, and producers operating in that state. 

On March 26, a containership struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, resulting in the collapse of the highway infrastructure and tragic loss of life.[i]  As communities grieve the loss of their loved ones, businesses around the world are grappling with the economic fallout, including significant supply chain disruptions.  The closure of I-695, which provides an alternate route for hazardous materials and oversized vehicles that are prohibited from going through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, has created a gridlock for companies with distribution warehouses nearby.[ii]  The many ships stuck at the Port of Baltimore blockage, which is the top port in the nation for automobile shipments, is likely to create a ripple effect for other ports worldwide.[iii]