Significant Revisions to China’s Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices (State Council Order No. 650) China’s State Council released its new Administrative Regulation on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices March 7, 2014, which will be effective June 1, 2014 (the New Regulation). The State Council Legislative Affairs Office worked more … Continue Reading
A new draft order to the French Sunshine Act may soon change some procedures in a way that may help with implementation of the rules, and provide a new timeline for pharmaceutical and medical device companies to disclose specified payments to health care providers.… Continue Reading
The California Attorney General, Kamala D. Harris, has issued a long-awaited guide on how companies can comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA). CalOPPA applies to all companies which collect personally identifiable information from California residents online, regardless of whether that information is collected via a commercial website or a mobile application. This … Continue Reading
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a proposed rule that would institute several changes to the health care program civil monetary penalty (CMP) regulations. Under the proposed rule, the OIG would have the expanded authority to enforce significant CMPs on providers and suppliers in a variety of scenarios.
Reed Smith has prepared a Client Alert summarizing and analyzing the Proposed Rule, including the various scenarios under which CMPs could be issued under the proposed regulations as well as the changes in technical language proposed by OIG to more clearly define the scope of CMP regulations.… Continue Reading
The health care industry has seen a recent shift towards consolidation, driven in part by legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which encourages integration within the industry. As a result, health care entities are increasingly considering opportunities to merge with or acquire other companies. While this can be an exciting prospect … Continue Reading
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services identifies the underlying purpose of its exclusion authority as to protect federal health care programs and their beneficiaries from "untrustworthy health care providers, i.e., individuals and entities who pose a risk to program beneficiaries or the integrity of these programs." The OIG now has published a new proposed rule that would greatly expand the bases upon which it could affirmatively exclude an individual or entity from participation in federal health care programs.
Reed Smith has prepared a Client Alert that provides an overview of the Proposed Rule, including: proposed revisions to definitions; new grounds for exclusion; clarifications to existing regulations to add mitigating and aggravating factors; early reinstatement procedures; and proposed procedural changes in the OIG's exclusion authorities.… Continue Reading
The social media phenomenon has radically transformed the ways in which commercial businesses promote their services and products. However, as a result, companies must consider potential legal risks from an entirely new angle. To become a successful user of social media, a company must draft, review, disseminate and enforce a social media policy that addresses potential legal issues while at the same time emphasizing positive exposure for the business.… Continue Reading
Two separate instances of unencrypted laptop theft from different health care providers have resulted in two settlements for potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. These alleged violations were uncovered following investigations by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). In the first instance, involving Concentra Health Services, OCR found that Concentra had previously recognized its need for increased encryption on its technological devices but had failed to fully address this issue before the breach. In the second instance, involving QCA Health Plan, Inc. of Arkansas, OCR found that QCA had failed to comply with multiple requirements set forth by the HIPAA Security Rule. Both instances resulted in settlements comprised of financial payments to OCR as well as agreement to Corrective Action Plans that will allow for continued oversight by OCR in regards to HIPAA compliance.… Continue Reading
Drug and medical device manufacturers are often faced with difficult challenges in determining the country of origin for their products, which are often sourced, processed and manufactured in multiple countries. As detailed by the article "Origin of the Pieces: How to Determine a Pharmaceutical Product's 'Country of Origin,'" written by Reed Smith lawyers Jeffrey Orenstein and Lorraine Campos, there are a variety of factors that must be taken into consideration when answering the country of origin question for a pharmaceutical product - chief among which is who is asking the question. This article provides an overview of the principal regulatory schemes and their country of origin standards in order to help provide clarity to pharmaceutical companies in an often confusing and frustrating process.… Continue Reading
In a much-anticipated decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last month affirmed the lower court's ruling in favor of the hospital plaintiffs in Allina Health Services, et al. v. Sebelius (D.C. Cir., No. 13-5011, Apr. ___, 2014). The otherwise good news for providers, however, was called into question by the appellate court's instructions as to the proper remedy in the case.… Continue Reading
As mentioned on our Health Industry Washington Watch blog, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a plan intended to incentivize manufacturers to voluntarily update their prescription drug and biologics labels. The plan calls for the use of a government contractor to assist manufacturers in making these updates according to the labeling guidelines … Continue Reading