Practice Management
Most of the legislative issues that affect urgent care operations are governed at the state level, particularly provider scope-of-practice laws. A recent guest column in the Columbus Dispatch by Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM, makes the case for urgent care’s untapped potential in providing affordable access to care in rural areas. Kentucky and Indiana are witnessing growth in rural urgent care, but Ohio is lagging because …
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New regulations that began in January require hospitals and outpatient centers in certain Medicare quality payment programs to collect and report data summarizing the radiation doses resulting from the computed tomography (CT) scans they deliver. The rule is meant to improve patient safety by tracking the wide variation in radiation exposure—the doses can vary by an order of magnitude of tenfold or more. According to Kaiser Health News, providers must comply with data reporting rules …
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This month, the Oregon House of Representatives gave its blessing to House Bill 2748, which mandates that the title “nurse” can only be used exclusively for human beings who practice nursing—in other words, artificial intelligence (AI) systems cannot use the term “nurse.” Lawmakers introduced the bill after concerns that AI chatbot “nurses” could mislead patients. The bill now moves to the Oregon Senate. “As AI adoption grows in medical practice, there will be greater implications …
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a new bill into law, requiring hospitals to enhance protections against workplace violence. The law mandates hospitals to create comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans, including staff training, reporting systems for workplace incidents, and policies prohibiting retaliation against staff who report violent incidents. Plans must be developed with input from clinical staff. The law further provides civil immunity for healthcare workers who act in self-defense or defense of others during …
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Proposed regulatory changes in Oregon would require registration for urgent care (UC) centers operating in the states while also enforcing a number of operational standards. Like the newly minted Massachusetts law, Oregon’s proposal would give the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) discretion to create processes, define fees, and require certain capabilities among UC centers. For example, the proposed regulation includes a requirement that centers must provide clinical summaries and medical notes to patients after their visits. …
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Massachusetts enacted a new law this month aimed at healthcare businesses, which includes stricter reporting standards and licensing requirements for urgent care centers. According to National Law Review, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been granted the authority to develop and enforce the specific licensing criteria for urgent care, which is expected by October 1. Licensed hospitals, hospital affiliates, community health centers, and limited service clinics are exempt from the new licensing requirement, making …
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Now in its waning days, the Biden administration has finalized a regulation banning the inclusion of medical debt in American consumers’ credit reports. The rule would erase $49 billion in medical debts from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans, according to Reuters. The Consumer Data Industry Association and Cornerstone Credit Union League immediately filed a lawsuit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to prevent the law from taking effect. While excluding medical …
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A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. However, some observers are questioning the future trend, as the tax credits that provided financial help to millions of enrollees will expire at the end of this year unless Congress passes a new law to extend them. The enhanced subsidies came from the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and were extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of …
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In Florida, a US District Court recently ruled that whistleblowers cannot file False Claims Act lawsuits on behalf of the federal government—known as qui tam provisions—because it’s unconstitutional. Current or former employees often file False Claims Act suits when they suspect their employer is committing fraud or filing inaccurate Medicare and Medicaid claims. In 2023, the courts assessed in more than $2.3 billion in lawsuits from private whistleblowers in all industries, according to Reuters. The …
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In Pennsylvania, the state senate approved legislation to expand its safe haven laws, allowing urgent care (UC) clinics to serve as locations where parents can surrender unharmed newborns. Many states have safe haven laws that include drop off points at hospitals and healthcare facilities, but Pennsylvania would be only the second to name UC clinics specifically. Minnesota is the only other state that specifies “urgent care” rather than just “health facility.” However, in Minnesota, the …
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