Legal/Regulatory Issues The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced that EyePoint, a manufacturer of therapeutics for ophthalmic applications, has agreed to pay $4,678,981 to resolve allegations that it paid kickbacks to induce ASCs to purchase its drug DEXYCU. The government alleges that EyePoint violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the…
Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) announced that eight of its hospitals are now unified under a single hospital license. The health system stated that this administrative change will help it operate as a more connected health system, with providers able to share information more easily, coordinate care more quickly…
The United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia announced that West Virginia University Health System (WVUHS) agreed to pay $4,177,139 and enter a three-year Memorandum of Agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to resolve civil allegations after the agency’s investigation found that the…
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has “applauded” the introduction of the bipartisan Patients First Act of 2026, which it calls a “comprehensive” Medicare physician payment reform proposal that would “help stabilize Medicare physician practices, strengthen quality measurement, and support safer, more reliable care for Medicare beneficiaries.” “This legislation represents…
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) announced its support for the Outpatient Surgery Access Act of 2026. ASCA states that the legislation, if enacted, would “stabilize ASC reimbursements” by requiring CMS to use “the same inflation factor used to update hospital payment rates,” while also removing a “budget neutrality adjustment…
Just days after announcing that Vermont had become the 26th U.S. state to opt out of physician supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) has announced that Ohio has become the 27th state to do so. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine informed CMS of the…
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology announced that Vermont patients now have “increased access to safe anesthesia care” as the state became the 26th in the nation to opt out of federal regulations that require physician supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). After Gov. Phil Scott sent a letter…
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has sent a letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative to ask that medications, medical devices and other healthcare equipment and supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE) be exempted from proposed duties on goods from other nations. In the letter, signed by…
The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) has reminded ASCs that new requirements for accessible medical diagnostic equipment take effect on Tuesday, July 8. ASCs that participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or other grant or funding programs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and use the covered equipment…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week released the 2027 proposed payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). You can access and download a PDF of the full 723-page rule here. In addition to issuing a press release headlined “CMS Disincentivizes Procedure Migration with Decline…
