Health Care

In order to navigate the complicated and ever-changing laws surrounding health care and your business, you need attorneys who understand your challenges. The Pittsburgh health care lawyers at Houston Harbaugh, P.C., have the knowledge and experience to help you manage everyday issues, as well as plan for the future.

CMS Issues Press Release Detailing Financial Relief For Medicare Providers During Covid-19

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a press release on March 28, 2020, announcing an expansion of its accelerated and advance payment program for Medicare participating health care providers and suppliers, to ensure they have the resources needed to combat the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The program expansion will work to lower the financial hardships for providers dealing with challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key items for a provider to qualify for accelerated or advance payments are as follows:

  1. Have billed Medicare for claims within 180 days immediately prior to the date of signature on the provider’s/ supplier’s request form,
  2. Not be in bankruptcy,
  3. Not be under active medical review or program integrity investigation, and
  4. Not have any outstanding delinquent Medicare overpayments.

It is noted that requests of up to 100% of the Medicare payment amount for a three-month period will be allowed for most providers and suppliers. Advanced repayments can be expected to be received 120 days after the date of issuance. Thereafter, the advances for Part B providers must repay or allow Medicare to recoup such advances within 210 days. Most hospitals will be able to extend the repayment period for a year.

About Us

In order to navigate the complicated and ever-changing laws surrounding health care and your business, you need attorneys who understand your challenges. The Pittsburgh health care lawyers at Houston Harbaugh, P.C., have the knowledge and experience to help you manage everyday issues, as well as plan for the future.

Jessica Ellel Pittsburgh health care lawyer

Jessica A. Ellel - Practice Chair

Chair of Houston Harbaugh’s Health Law Practice, Jessica works almost exclusively with health care entities and health practitioners. She has extensive experience with:

  • Drafting and negotiating physician employment agreements from both the physician and employer perspectives
  • Negotiating contracts between physicians and hospitals
  • Preparing purchase agreements to govern the sale of medical practices
  • Advising on corporate governance issues, from practice formation to dissolution
  • Developing comprehensive compliance plans for physician practices, hospitals, third-party billing administrators, and other health care and related entities
  • Organizing strategies for compliance with fraud and abuse laws
  • Addressing HIPAA compliance

Jessica is especially well-versed in HIPAA compliance and authors numerous client updates and bulletins on the subject. She conducts on-site and remote HIPAA training and also maintains Houston Harbaugh’s HIPAA compliance manual, ” Federal HIPAA Privacy Standards Simplified: A Comprehensive Tool-Kit”.