In a May 1 webinar hosted by McGuireWoods, Nathan A. Kottkamp, JD, partner at McGuireWoods, David J. Pivnick, JD, and Mary C. DeBartolo, JD, attorneys at McguireWoods, discussed legal implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. They laid out concepts that healthcare providers should be aware of with regard to HIPAA compliance during litigation.

HHS' Office of Inspector General issued 22 advisory opinions in 2012. Six of these contain guidance specific to hospitals, surgery centers and other providers. These are briefly described below.  The first three advisory opinions closely address issues that surgery centers and hospitals are currently facing, while the remaining three address issues that may have peripheral importance, such as an advisory opinion concerning a radiology group that proposed to offer free pre-authorization services to physicians and patients which has potential application to hospital-based specialists and to independent practitioners.

Katherine Lin and Payal Keshvani are associates with McGuireWoods LLP law firm in Chicago.

There are several different legal issues that face the surgery center industry. This article briefly outlines 11 core legal risk areas.

This article is written by Scott Becker, David Pivnick and Lindzi Timberlake of McGuireWoods.

This article discusses 12 ideas and tactics that are critical to ASC success today and over the next 24 to 36 months. To stay effective and profitable, ASCs must both block and tackle effectively and approach the market in certain new ways.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in March 2010, creates several programs that aim to increase healthcare quality and lower costs. One of the most recognizable of these is the Medicare Shared Savings, or accountable care organization, program. The PPACA has been hotly contested, and the constitutionality of the law will be soon decided by the Supreme Court. Despite this uncertainty, many health systems are moving forward with plans to develop ACOs.

This article briefly discusses eleven different healthcare and business issues. We have divided the article the letter into three key sections. The first focuses on hospital and physician issues. Second, a brief observation on urgent care and sleep labs. Third, a brief discussion of key business issues, focusing largely on a new book by Jim Collins.