Medicare reimbursement and coverage policies for cellular and tissue-based products (CTPs), often referred to as skin substitutes, are changing significantly in 2026. On October 31, 2025, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule announcing that it would be bolstering reimbursement requirements, documentation expectations, and oversight for CTP utilization, effective for calendar year…Read More
As of February 16, 2026, all covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) that receive or maintain substance use disorder (SUD) patient records were required to update their notice of privacy practices (NPP) to include information addressing the modified confidentiality of SUD patient records regulations, known as Part 2. Specifically,…Read More
A version of this article was published by The Daily Record on June 22, 2026. The Maryland General Assembly’s 2026 Legislative Session concluded with the enactment of many health care laws that will impact health care facilities, providers, insurers, and patients in the State. Here are some of the highlights from the 2026 Session. Health Care Facility Operations and…Read More
You have just shaken hands on an agreement to buy or sell your health care practice, which includes Maryland real estate. You have agreed on the purchase price and the other relevant terms of the deal. But then you wonder: What will the recording taxes be? Is there any way to reduce them? Who will…Read More
AI is everywhere, and in many cases, it is an advantage actively to incorporate AI into daily life. But, by choosing to engage with large language models, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others, you could be giving up the significant legal protection of attorney-client privilege. Attorney-client privilege protects certain communications between a client and…Read More
On November 12, 2025, the State of Maryland and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) amended the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design (AHEAD) Model, which Model is now the basis of the “waiver” that allows Maryland, via the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), to set the rates that Maryland hospitals…Read More
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) became law on July 4, 2025. This article addresses key provisions of OBBBA that: limit how states fund their share of Medicaid; limit how states may pay Medicaid providers; and limit the activities of Medicaid providers. This third article addresses key provisions of OBBBA that: limit how states…Read More
For nearly three decades, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provided clear guidance for competitor collaborations through a series of policy statements and guidelines. Among the most relied-upon were the 1996 Health Care Anti-trust Policy Statements and the 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors. These policies established “safety zones” that…Read More
Effective October 1, 2025, the Maryland Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act prohibits health care facilities, practitioners, ambulance ser-vices, and entities primarily providing medical services, products, or devices from disclosing medical debt to consumer reporting agencies. Also, contracts for the purchase or collec-tion of medical debt must include a provision prohibiting the disclosure of medical debt…Read More
The federal Occupational of Safety and Health Administration reports that 75% of all workplace assaults occur in health care settings. Yet, most of these incidents are never brought to the justice system for a variety of reasons, including obstacles inherent in the process, a lack of understanding about how to pursue criminal charges, and fear…Read More