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Please Click HerePosted on April 30, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
At a recent Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) compliance institute, the Office of Inspector General announced it had launched a new resource portal focused on compliance issues. A trip to the OIG’s web site, and sure enough, there is a brand spankin’ new compliance portal. You can check out the portal at OIG Portal. On […]
Posted on April 30, 2018 by Mary Ellen Schill
I previously blogged about how unusual it was for the IRS to implement a retroactive change to a previously announced limit. As you may remember, the $6,900 limit on HSA contributions for a taxpayer eligible for a family high deductible health plan (HDHP) previously announced May 4, 2017 was reduced on March 5, 2018 to $6,850, […]
Posted on April 10, 2018 by Linda M. Danielson
Family farmers face a difficult issue of passing on the farm if there are both on-farm and off-farm heirs. A family farm is a business but also about family. Doing what’s best for both farm and family requires making difficult decisions and sometimes rocking the boat. Most parents try to treat their children equally when […]
Posted on April 4, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
We are often asked to advise clients regarding the scope and content of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) policies and procedures that are required to be maintained. HIPAA clearly requires health care providers, as “covered entities,” to maintain policies and procedures covering HIPAA issues that apply to their operations. There is a core of […]
Posted on April 3, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Conducting HIPAA Breach Risk Assessments The HIPAA rules relating to assessment of potential patient confidentiality breaches were changed in 2013. Specifically, on January 17, 2013, the Office of Civil Rights released new regulations defining when a HIPAA breach is deemed to occur. These regulations recast the steps that covered entities are required to take when […]
Posted on March 29, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion among farmers as to what role the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plays in regulating farming operations. Among questions we get are “Do I as a farmer need to care about OSHA?” and “Does OSHA regulate farms the same as other businesses?” There is a […]
Posted on March 16, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Some recent changes in federal law and in federal agency interpretation of federal law may both clarify and relieve some regulatory obligations of health care providers. Lessening Dependence on Federal Agency Interpretations of Federal Law In late January, a high ranking official of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) told DOJ litigators they can no […]
Posted on March 8, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I recently did a blog about obesity as a disability under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act. I concluded that the condition of obesity did not automatically constitute a disability although courts could find that an employer discriminated against an obese person if it perceived the person to be adversely impacted by the obese condition and […]
Posted on March 7, 2018 by Mary Ellen Schill
It is unusual for the IRS to implement a retroactive change to a previously announced limit (whether it be qualified plan limits or HSA limits). Especially when the change is a reduction in the amount that taxpayers can save/contribute. But who would disagree that 2018 has been a bit unusual. On March 5, 2018 the […]
Posted on March 6, 2018 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent decision from the State of California has held that obesity is considered a protected disability under California law if the condition of obesity is caused by a psychological condition. This gave me pause to wonder whether obesity would be considered a disability under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act. It appears there is really […]