Health Law Scan

Given the significant push to vaccinate the public since the start of 2021, the increasing availability of vaccines, and the need to recruit additional personnel to administer vaccinations, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has again amended its declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to accommodate some workforce barriers that had not been previously contemplated.

Last month we had an incredibly insightful Fast Break analyzing a significant HIPAA enforcement victory for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) in the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. If you missed our live program with Morgan Lewis partner Scott McBride and MD Anderson Deputy Chief Compliance Officer Krista Barnes, you can still view the presentation, or check out the highlights below.

Our immigration team recently published a resource discussing the expiration of Presidential Proclamation 10052 (PP 10052). This resource may be of interest to Health Law Scan readers, as this action may impact visa holders in the healthcare sector and will be highly beneficial for companies and employees seeking to resume global mobility.

It’s now been over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency, ushering in monumental changes for telehealth regulation. If you’ve been following Health Law Scan, we hope our updates have provided some clarity to the everchanging regulatory healthcare framework and the legal issues that can vary across payers, across states, and even across countries.

Our immigration team has been actively publishing resources as the Biden administration continues to make changes to existing immigration framework. These topics may be of importance to Health Law Scan readers, and we encourage you to access these publications below.

Members of our healthcare team recently published a LawFlash highlighting the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). ARPA provides $1.9 trillion in relief funding to address the COVID-19 pandemic, support the US economy, and provide relief for impacted Americans, and includes provisions specifically affecting healthcare providers remaining on the frontlines.

Members of our financial services and banking teams recently published a LawFlash discussing the Biden administration’s recent changes to the Paycheck Protection Program aimed at providing greater access to funds for small businesses in need and in underserved communities. The LawFlash highlights key provisions and guidance for businesses seeking to participate in the program before it officially expires on March 31, 2021 (pending any additional legislation from Congress).

We hope you were able to join us for last month's Fast Break on the Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care, which has been a longstanding initiative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Office of the Inspector General to navigate a path to value-based payment models, culminating in the December 2020 final rules. If not, you missed a conversational session featuring Katie McDermott, Al Shay, and Jake Harper diving a bit deeper into this topic.

Members of our labor and employment team published a LawFlash discussing the Biden administration’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) updated COVID-19 guidance. The LawFlash dives into the significant new guidance, including testing, quarantining, and mask-wearing. This may be of particular interest to Health Law Scan readers who are considering return to work issues.

On the heels of the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Criminal Division Fraud Section releasing its annual Year in Review, our white collar team published a LawFlash discussing the report, which highlights DOJ’s sustained aggressive enforcement efforts despite the COVID-19 pandemic.