Photo of Phil Kim

Phil Kim is a partner in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group in the firm's Dallas office.

As we approach the middle of the first quarter of 2023, private equity firms have continued to demonstrate their interest in investing in digital health. This does not come as a surprise, as most startups in the healthcare technology space have been active in developing attractive strategies. These companies strive to improve health outcomes and lower expenses by focusing on specific gaps, issues or illnesses, prioritizing technological innovation, and customizing individualized care plans.

Continue Reading Private Equity and Digital Health in 2023: Policy Updates and Trends to Watch

On December 21, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a proposed rule aimed at advancing health equity and mitigating health disparities while minimizing administrative burden. The HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2024 (“Proposed Rule”) would streamline ACA health plan selection, simplify marketplace enrollment, and expand access to care for low-income and medically underserved consumers through revision of network adequacy and essential community provider (“ECP”) standards. These proposed changes came in the midst of a record-breaking ACA Marketplace enrollment period, highlighting the increased demand for affordable health care coverage.

Continue Reading HHS Proposes Health Insurance Market Reforms for 2024

The AHLA’s Annual Meeting held June 27-29 in Chicago reunited healthcare attorneys across the country. The diverse group of attendees were eager not only to reconnect in-person, but also to process the changes that the now-easing pandemic has brought to all corners of the healthcare industry. The conference presenters grappled in real-time with the transitory nature of the healthcare landscape today, including the significant role that technology has played in driving shifts in care delivery. The panel discussions assessed which changes to healthcare delivery and reimbursement would continue after the pandemic, and in what format.

Continue Reading Recap of AHLA’s Annual Meeting

The metaverse has been described as the “next frontier” and the “new era” of healthcare. Although still a loosely defined and relatively broad term, the “metaverse” generally refers to a shared virtual environment accessed by individuals via the Internet. Individuals generally enter the metaverse through the following four technologies: virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and extended reality.  

Continue Reading Digital Health in the Metaverse: Three Legal Considerations

Texas HB 1445, which went into effect on January 1, 2022, exempts medical billing services performed before the submission of the relevant insurance claim from state sales tax. The new legislation legally exempts medical billing services from the statutory definition of taxable “insurance services.” Practically speaking, this relieves management services companies, and ultimately physicians and patients, from bearing the burden of tax payments of up to 8.25% for the provision of certain medical billing services. The legislation is hailed by many as a meaningful step in lowering needlessly high healthcare costs, which are felt by patients and providers alike.
Continue Reading Tax Break for Certain Medical Billing Services in Texas