Erin Duffy – Duane Morris Health Law

December 2, 2021December 2, 2021 by Duane Morris

CMS Mandate Blocked Nationwide

By Erin M. Duffy and Samantha Dalmass

A federal judge in New Orleans blocked the Interim Final Rule with Comment requiring the vaccination of all staff of health care facilities subject to the health and safety standards under the Medicare Conditions of Participation (“CoPs”) issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) earlier this month. The nationwide block was issued on November 30, 2021, less than one week before the December 6, 2021 deadline for all staff of covered facilities to have received at least their first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series, and only one day after a federal court in Missouri blocked the CMS vaccination requirement in Missouri, Arkansas, Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Notwithstanding the broad authority of CMS to regulate the health and safety of facilities subject to Medicare CoPs, the order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana blocking implementation of the CMS mandate set forth in 86 Fed. Reg. 61555-01 (November 5, 2021) will remain in effect pending final resolution of the case. The Biden Administration will likely appeal to the Supreme Court, but in the meantime facilities covered by the mandate should plan accordingly and ensure they are prepared to implement the required plans and processes for vaccinating staff, providing exemptions and accommodations for those who are exempt, and tracking and documenting staff vaccinations.

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 by Duane Morris

New Reporting Requirements for Philadelphia Health Care Facilities

By Erin M. Duffy and Samantha Dalmass

On June 9, 2021 Mayor Jim Kenney signed municipal legislation amending the Philadelphia Health Code to add a section establishing reporting and employment requirements related to changes in ownership or of the license holder of long-term care facilities and hospitals. Proposed in April by the Committee on Public Health and Human Services, Bill No. 210331 (the “Ordinance”) was passed by the Philadelphia City Council on May 27, 2021. The Ordinance imposes certain notification requirements for hospitals and long-term care facilities pursuant to a 5% or more change in ownership of the owner or operator of such institutions. The City of Philadelphia Ordinance requires hospitals and long-term care facilities to provide notices to the City of Philadelphia, as well as to facility employees prior to the effective date of a sale or other change in ownership interest. The ordinance also requires that certain documentary evidence of the transaction be posted the institution’s website. Following the initial posting of such notices, there are ongoing requirements for the owner or operator of a facility to update the information made available to its employees and the public on a weekly basis as well as additional notice requirements upon the effective date of the change. Continue reading “New Reporting Requirements for Philadelphia Health Care Facilities”

November 10, 2020 by Duane Morris

Could Medical Device Manufacturers Accelerate the FDA Approval Process by Using COVID-19 Data?

Medical device shortages and shortcomings during the COVID-19 pandemic have led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to many medical devices manufacturers. Were it not for these EUAs, these manufacturers would be unable to market their devices, as their FDA applications would still be pending. Once the present “emergency” ends, these EUAs will expire, and manufacturers will again be unable to market their devices for the indications cleared under the EUA.

Still, the real-world evidence (RWE) gained about these devices while marketed under the EUA need not be lost with the passing of the pandemic. Once the pandemic ends, manufacturers should be able to use the data collected to support their pending applications for market clearance and for new indications for already-cleared devices.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris partners Frederick R. Ball and Erin M. Duffy, please visit the Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association website.

September 23, 2019 by Duane Morris

Class Action ADA Lawsuit Filed Against Hospital – A Sign of More to Come?

Disability discrimination lawsuits against hospitals have become relatively common in recent years as former hospital employees allege that their former employers discriminated against them on the basis of various disabilities in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Other ADA lawsuits have been filed against hospitals and other healthcare providers, claiming that their websites or parking lots do not adequately accommodate those with disabilities. Yet others have been filed accusing hospitals of failing to accommodate deaf patients by not providing a live interpreter. But few, if any, major lawsuits had been brought against hospitals and healthcare providers alleging that the facilities themselves fail to accommodate patients with physical disabilities. That may have changed with a putative class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in late July, which may be the first of many cases to come.

View the full Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

October 25, 2018 by Duane Morris

SUPPORT Act Expands Sunshine Act Disclosure Requirements, Covered Recipients

On October 24, 2018, President Donald Trump signed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act), a combination of a number of previously passed House and Senate bills related to addressing the opioid crisis. One of the provisions of this lengthy bipartisan package of bills includes an expansion of the disclosure requirements initially imposed by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act.

Read the full text of this Alert on the Duane Morris LLP website.

February 7, 2018February 7, 2018 by Duane Morris

New SAMHSA Rule Allows Disclosure of Patient Substance Use for Payment, Healthcare Operations

By Lisa W. Clark and Erin M. Duffy

On January 3, 2018, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finalized revisions to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations, found in 42 CFR Part 2. The new final rule implements the changes proposed a year ago by SAMHSA in its supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM), which was issued alongside the first major changes to the federal regulations governing Part 2 covered data since 1987. After receiving public comment on the SNPRM, SAMHSA has finalized provisions relating to the disclosure of patient-identifying substance use information for payment and healthcare-related purposes and the disclosure of patient-identifying substance use information for the purposes of carrying out a Medicaid, Medicare or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) audit or evaluation. The new final rule also permits lawful holders to issue an abbreviated notice of the prohibition on redisclosure to accommodate electronic health record systems with standard character limitations on free text fields.

Read the full story on the Duane Morris LLP website.

June 27, 2016September 12, 2018 by Duane Morris

SCOTUS Strikes Down Texas Statute in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

In a 5-3 decision today, the Supreme Court of the United States in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, No. 15-275, slip op. (June 27, 2016) reversed a decision of the Fifth Circuit and overturned as unconstitutional a Texas law that (1) required abortion providers to have “active admitting privileges” at a hospital within 30 miles of the location at which they provide abortions and (2) required abortion facilities to meet standards adopted for ambulatory surgery centers. The Court wrote that each of the requirements “places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access, and each violates the Federal Constitution.” A team of Duane Morris attorneys, including Philip H. Lebowitz, Erin M. Duffy, Katharyn I. Christian McGee, Alison Taylor Rosenblum, and Erica Fruiterman, filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of medical staff professionals in support of petitioners Whole Woman’s Health et al. In its decision, the Supreme Court cited Duane Morris’ amicus brief, noting, “Other amicus briefs filed here set forth without dispute other common prerequisites to obtaining admitting privileges that have nothing to do with ability to perform medical procedures.” The brief was one of only a handful of amici curiae briefs cited in the decision out of a total of 41 such briefs filed on behalf of petitioners.

November 4, 2013September 10, 2014 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Attorneys Frederick Ball and Erin Duffy to Present “Introduction to Drug Law and Regulation: The Legal Framework for Drug Regulation”

Duane Morris partner Frederick Ball and associate Erin Duffy will present at the “Introduction to Drug Law and Regulation: The Legal Framework for Drug Regulation” program on Thursday, November 7, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

This introductory program provides a comprehensive overview of the laws and Food and Drug Administration regulations affecting the drug industry, and will help you and your organization get products approved and navigate regulatory problems. Experts will review the essential elements of FDA drug regulation in a systematic and comprehensive way. From the definition of “drug” to the different regulatory schemes for over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) drugs, speakers walk you through key regulations and policies and will help you determine how those regulations and policies are applied.

For more information please visit the Food and Drug Law Institute website.