On November 22, 2016, a federal judge in Texas granted a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) overtime rule scheduled to take effect December 1, 2016. The rule more than doubles the required salary level to qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) “white collar” exemptions, increasing the annual salary

After months of uncertainty during the campaign season, employers finally know that Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. The Trump administration, which takes power on January 20, 2017, will likely bring fundamental changes to immigration law and policy.  Although many of the details remain uncertain, employers can take action now

Private Dispute Over Policy Coverage Did Not Support Insured’s GBL § 349 Claim Against Insurer, Fourth Department Rules

A building owner sued its insurance company for deceptive acts and practices under New York General Business Law § 349, alleging that the insurer had retained a non-engineer to conduct an investigation into its claim for damage to its building and

Last week, a Texas federal court issued a preliminary injunction delaying the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) latest rule for overtime exemptions from taking effect. The injunction comes as the result of a lawsuit filed by 21 states and several business organizations that claimed that the DOL exceeded its authority by more than doubling the

Company’s COBRA Breach Justified Award of Premiums to Former Employee, Eighth Circuit Rules

When Health Resources of Arkansas, Inc. (HRA) reduced its work force in response to financial difficulties in 2012, the plaintiff in this case was 57 years old and had been working for HRA since 1987. She had worked her way up from

In an increasingly intense and unforgiving regulatory environment, all healthcare organizations — from small physician practice groups to large health systems — must closely scrutinize areas where they may be vulnerable to fraud and abuse allegations. Corporate compliance programs are useful in this effort, but only if they are well-constructed and aggressively implemented, not merely

Alan Rutkin article entitled, “Insight – A Lesson in Cyber,” has been published in the November 2016 issue of Best’s Review magazine.

Click here to read the article.

Best’s Review:  November 2016. Copyrighted A.M. Best Company, Inc. 2016.  All Rights Reserved, Reprinted with Permission.

A federal district court in Alabama has ruled that a grocery store was not entitled to coverage of a lawsuit brought by credit unions alleging that they had been damaged when the store’s computer network was hacked.

The Case

Three credit unions sued Camp’s Grocery, Inc., which operated a grocery store in Hokes Bluff, Alabama,

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas that the owner of a refinery was not covered under its parent company’s insurance policy where the refinery owner was not listed as an insured and it could not demonstrate that

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has affirmed a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania granting summary judgment in favor of an insurance carrier in a bad faith case.

The Case

A man working for Stephen Bodnar died when a trench they were digging collapsed.

Danielle

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has affirmed a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that an insurer was not obligated to defend its insureds in an action brought by a vineyard owner against them.

The Case

The owner of a vineyard sued Jack Neal &

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that an insurance company was not required to cover its insured’s loss under the computer fraud provision of a crime protection insurance policy where the only computer use was an email to the insured asking it to change a vendor’s bank account information.

The

Since its enactment six years ago, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) has faced numerous challenges from Republicans attempting to repeal the law. Though previous efforts, through both legislation and litigation, have been unsuccessful, the election of Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress likely portends at least a partial repeal of the

New York State Medicaid providers who claim, order or receive at least $500,000 in any consecutive 12-month period from the Medicaid Program are required to implement a compliance program aimed at detecting and preventing Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse. This requirement also applies to third party billing companies that bill or receive the threshold amount

For providers contemplating a business arrangement with a potential referral source for items or services reimbursable under a federal health care program, fitting that arrangement within a recognized safe harbor under the Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) is the “holy grail,” for it ensures that the arrangement will be immunized against civil and criminal enforcement actions.  And