Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
Regulatory Developments
Medicare Providers' Progress with HIPAA: Good or Bad?
Are Medicare Part A providers meeting standards imposed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)? On May 2003, the Office of Evaluations and Inspections (OEI), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a report about the progress made by Medicare Part A providers in meeting various standards imposed by HHS as part of HIPPA implementation. See HIPAA Readiness: Administrative Simplification for Medicare Part A Providers (OEI-09-02-00421). As explained in the report, this study was conducted 'to determine if Medicare Part A providers expect to comply with the electronic data transaction standards and code sets mandated by ' [HIPAA] by October 2003. HIPAA Readiness ' Executive Summary, at 1. As part of its obligations under HIPAA, HHS promulgated regulations requiring that specific standards be used for eight different types of electronic transactions and medical code sets by October 16, 2003. See 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 162. The eight types of electronic transactions are:
- Health care claims or equivalent encounter information;
- Health care payments and remittance advice;
- Coordination of benefits;
- Health care claim status;
- Enrollment and disenrollment in a health plan;
- Eligibility for a health plan;
- Health plan premium payments; and
- Referral certification and authorization.
To determine how many providers expect to be ready to comply with this deadline, the OEI evaluated the results of a mail survey of a stratified random sample of Medicare Part A providers that submitted claims to Medicare fiscal intermediaries between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002. Id. The results from this sample are promising: Ninety-two percent of Part A providers report having made significant progress in meeting the HIPAA deadline, while another one-half are developing sequencing strategies and contingency plans in the event their system is not fully in compliance with the deadline. Id. at 1-2. The report can be obtained from the OIG's Web site, www.oig.hhs.gov/
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
Beach Boys Songs Written Decades Ago Triggered Current Quarrel With Lawyers
There's current litigation in the ongoing Beach Boys litigation saga. A lawsuit filed in 2019 against Nevada residents Mike Love and his wife Jacquelyne in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada that alleges inaccurate payment by the Loves under the retainer agreement and seeks $84.5 million in damages.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
Transfer Tax Implications on Real Property Leases
The real property transfer tax does not apply to all leases, and understanding the tax rules of the applicable jurisdiction can allow parties to plan ahead to avoid unnecessary tax liability.