On October 23, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and Treasury Department issued a proposed regulation that would expand the usability of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). The regulation would allow company employees to use HRAs to cover the cost of individual health insurance coverage, subject to certain conditions. The

Garmin International, best known in the U.S. for its GPS navigation units, has announced a collaboration with Fitabase to analyze digital health data from Garmin’s wearable devices, including activity trackers and smartwatches. The alliance puts Garmin in direct competition with Apple and Fitbit, both of which use data from their devices in healthcare research.

Fitabase,

On October 3, 2018, Congress passed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act. The SUPPORT Act is intended to combat the opioid and heroin crisis by reducing use and supply, encouraging recovery, supporting caregivers and families, and driving innovation and long-term solutions. It also includes the expansion

As cybersecurity threats increase, the need for healthcare providers to conduct periodic security risk assessments as required by the HIPAA Security Rule has become more critical. To assist providers in this task, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and Office for Civil Rights

On October 18, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with a California-based physician and the two companies he controlled. The FTC had alleged that Bryn Jarald Henderson, D.O., and his two companies, Regenerative Medical Group and Telehealth Medical Group, earned at least $3.3 million by offering “stem cell therapy” injections initially costing

The Albany Business Review recently held a roundtable event to explore the future of a single-payer system, the rising cost of healthcare and the rapid pace of change in the industry. Rivkin Radler Partner Robert H. Iseman was joined by Barry McNamara, President of employee benefits firm Benetech Inc.; and Kelly K. Smith, Vice President

On October 18, 2018, the New York Court of Appeals struck down a $199,000 cap on executive compensation for healthcare executives, saying the State Department of Health exceeded its authority. The Court upheld a related cap on executive compensation for healthcare organizations that receive state funding.  The case is Leading Age New York Inc. v

An October 16, 2018, article in Bloomberg Law’s Health Law & Business, “Anthem Data-Breach Settlement Sets Tone for Privacy Enforcement”, discussed Anthem, Inc.’s recent $16 million data breach settlement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The 2015 breach compromised the personal information of about 79 million people. Rivkin