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Eva Schifini

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Eva Schifini is an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm's Century City office and is a member of the firm’s Healthcare team.

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On July 1, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued new regulations[1] (the “Regulations”) effective immediately that more narrowly limit the circumstances under which instances of unauthorized access to medical information have to be reported to CDPH.  The new regulations also give CDPH more discretion to adjust penalties for violations.  The Regulations complement Section 1280.15 of the Health and Safety Code (“Section 1280.15”) requiring state-licensed clinics, health facilities, home health agencies, and hospices to prevent any unlawful or unauthorized access to, or use or disclosure of, a patient’s medical information, and to report any unauthorized access, use or disclosure to the Department no later than fifteen (15) business days after the breach was detected.
Continue Reading California Issues New Health Facility Breach Reporting Requirements

On May 13, 2021, MITRE Corporation, a non-profit that provides engineering and technical guidance for the federal government, published a long-awaited report proposing a National Strategy for Digital Health (the “Report”).  The proposed strategy provides a framework and prescribes tangible action items in order to revolutionize the American healthcare system through digital tools and technology.  The underlying premise is that harnessing the power of research, data, and innovation can further shared goals and accomplish priority outcomes to transform not only the digital plane of the healthcare system, but every facet of modern American healthcare.
Continue Reading MITRE Corporation Outlines a Proposal for a Digital Health Revolution in New Report

Late last month, the Biden Administration announced the second installment of its recovery plan, dubbed the “American Jobs Plan” (the “Plan”).  The Plan’s $2.3 trillion price tag includes…
Continue Reading The American Jobs Plan and the American Rescue Plan: The Biden Administration Bets Big on Home and Community-Based Services

With the uptick in the pace of vaccinations and lifting of restrictions in many states over the past few weeks, a clearer picture of the road ahead is coming into focus.  In a timely discussion, Los Angeles’ Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) hosted healthcare industry leaders to share lessons learned over the past year, what’s here to stay, and what’s on the horizon.  ACG dubbed the panel “Coming up for Air: Healthcare Investing and Growth in 2021 and Beyond,” which featured leaders from various healthcare sectors, including Shane Armstrong, President and General Counsel at American Vision Partners (AVP); John DiGiovanni, Investment Partner at Arsenal Capital; and Rob Mahan, CEO at Exer Urgent Care.  The panel was moderated by Aytan Dahukey, Partner and Private Equity Team Leader at Sheppard Mullin and Adam Abramowitz, Managing Director at Intrepid Investment Bankers.
Continue Reading ACG Panel Paints a Bright Future for Healthcare Investment and Growth

On February 4, 2021, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Office of Public Affairs, issued a Press Release (the “DOJ Press Release”) announcing that Kelly Wolfe, President of Regency, Inc., a medical billing company located in Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud through a “pernicious telefraud scheme”[1] involving fraudulent Medicare and CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs) claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”) supplies.  As a result of Wolfe’s criminal plea, Wolfe could face up to 13 years in federal prison. 
Continue Reading OIG Warns Telehealth Industry: “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”

Telehealth services and providers have been in high demand as the world copes with the COVID-19 public health emergency.  Federal and state agencies have amended, and often loosened, regulations in an attempt to facilitate and expand access to telehealth.  However, the honeymoon phase of relaxed oversight may be coming to an end as the world adjusts to a new-normal.
Continue Reading The Honeymoon Phase Is Over: OIG to Audit COVID-19 Part B Telehealth Services

Executive Orders and the Biden Administration’s promises to postpone or withdraw certain last-minute, so-called “midnight rules” promulgated by the Trump Administration are currently grabbing everyone’s attention, especially those in the healthcare space.  But while President Biden may have success in reversing much of his predecessor’s last minute regulatory activity, he is likely to face at least some headwinds as it relates to one of those midnight rules – the “Department of Health and Human Services Transparency and Fairness in Civil Administrative Enforcement Actions” (the “Final Rule”) – that was published in the Federal Register on January 14, 2021 and became effective on January 12, 2021.
Continue Reading Secret Rules and Hidden Penalties: Biden Executive Order Takes Aim at the Trump Administration’s Efforts to Limit HHS’s Use of Guidance Documents in Civil Enforcement Actions

On May 3, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a comprehensive proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) to revise the Medicare payment structure for inpatient prospective payment systems (“IPPS”) hospitals. According to the preamble of the Proposed Rule, the purpose of the Proposed Rule is to bump up Medicare’s reimbursements to rural hospitals, some of which receive the lowest rates in the country.

Unfortunately for urban hospitals, any proposed changes in the Medicare reimbursement system must be budget-neutral; therefore, any increase in rural hospital reimbursement must be matched with an equal and offsetting decrease in urban hospital reimbursement.[1] As reported in the Kaiser Health News on June 3, 2019, the Kaiser Family Foundation likens this to a Robin Hood-like effect – robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Like in Sherwood Forest, there are winners and losers in the world of Medicare reimbursement.
Continue Reading CMS Proposes Changes to Medicare Wage Index that Would Increase Reimbursement Rates to Rural Hospitals at the Expense of Urban Hospitals