BW INSIGHTS

Iowa Certificate of Need Becomes Focus of Iowa Legislature

Two bills have been introduced this week at the Iowa Legislature to significantly limit the scope of Iowa’s Certificate of Need (“CON”) Program. One of these bills was introduced by Governor Branstad. Committee action on at least one of these bills is planned for next week in advance of next week’s funnel deadline. Below you will find links to the... Read More

Updated HIPAA Privacy Rule Guidance

Accidents, sudden illness, and hospitalization of a family member are stressful incidents for individuals and their loved ones. Uncertainty regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (“HIPAA”) Privacy Rules’ restrictions on the sharing of information with certain family members or loved ones sometimes adds to that stress.... Read More

Subpoena Response When Requesting Health Records

In recent years, many states, including Iowa, have changed their court rules to allow attorneys to sign and issue subpoenas in pending cases without prior court approval. While the issuance of such subpoenas may be acceptable under general state law, providing documents in response to a subpoena that is only signed by an attorney may lead to a... Read More

DOL to Extend Minimum Wage & Overtime to More Home Health Care Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule on September 17, 2013 that extends the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to most home health care workers. Effective January 1, 2015, the “companionship” exemption of the FLSA will be narrowed, extending minimum wage and overtime protections to... Read More