Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

Maryland Mandates Paid Sick Leave

February 14, 2018

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Overriding Republican Gov. Pat Hogan's veto, the Maryland legislature passed a paid-sick-leave law that took effect this past Sunday, but which critics say is so lacking in details that many businessowners are scrambling to figure out their new responsibilities. Maryland Capitol At its simplest level, the Maryland Hea...

February 12, 2018

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EEOC Announces Strategic Plan to Combat Discrimination and Promote Inclusion

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has approved its Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2018-2022. The Strategic Plan serves as a framework for the commission in achieving its mission to prevent and remedy unlawful employment discrimination and advance equal opportunity for all in the workplace. Implementation of the new Strategic Plan will begin in February ...

Federal Contractors to Be Audited for Affirmative Action Compliance

February 12, 2018

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The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) this month sent out 1,000 Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letters (“CSAL”), informing the recipients that their companies would be audited for compliance with affirmative action rules. The letters are not formal audit announcements, but just a notification that the companies receiving them had been neutrally selected for auditing t...

February 9, 2018

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Near Death a Month Ago, CHIP Now Has Guaranteed Life Through 2028

When the federal fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, 2017, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) saw its authorization and funding expire. Through late January, several states struggled to keep their CHIP initiatives afloat while Congress failed to agree on permanent funding. Then came the government shutdown. Arising from the ashes of that disaster, a six-year CHIP funding provision was...

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Obamacare Enrollment Tops Out at 11.7 Million

February 8, 2018

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With California being the last state to report its Obamacare enrollment figure for 2018, the final tally for the nationwide effort came in at 11.7 million sign-ups. The HealthCare.gov site after end of enrollment. California was among the last of the 11 states and District of Columbia to close their enrollment on Jan....

NLRB Updates Bench Book to Reflect Recent Procedural Rules

February 6, 2018

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The Judges Division of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued an updated Bench Book, which replaces an earlier version issued in November 2016. This edition of the Bench Book was edited by NLRB Judge Jeffrey Wedekind and substantially revises the previous edition. The Bench Book serves as an NLRB Trial Manual, and is designed to provide NLRB judges with a reference guide during...

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Indiana Joins Kentucky in Requiring Work for Medicaid

February 5, 2018

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On Friday, Feb. 2, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) approved the Healthy Indiana Plan requiring some 130,000 state residents on Medicaid who aren't already in compliance to work, enroll in school, undergo job training or volunteer for at least 20 hours a week over eight months each year. HHS Secretary Alex Azar ...

Idaho First to Offer State-Based, Non-ACA Health Plans

February 4, 2018

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Without obtaining federal permission, Idaho has announced plans to allow health insurers to offer policies that do not adhere to the standards of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), provided they also offer ACA-eligible plans. According to the Idaho Department of Insurance: Governor C.L. 'Butch' Otter and Lieutenant Governor Brad Little issued Executive Order No. 2018-02 on January 5, 2018, dire...

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Firm Settles for $3.5 Million for 5 HIPAA Breaches

February 3, 2018

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Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), which operates health care facilities throughout the nation, has settled for $3.5 million for a series of five breaches it reported in 2012. This was the first settlement of the year announced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces HIPAA breach violations. Headquartered in Waltham, Mass., FMCNA is a provider of products and services...

OCR Issues Newsletter Warning about Cyber Threats to PHI

February 1, 2018

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The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January published a newsletter concerning cyber threats to entities storing PHI (protected health information), which is covered by the privacy and security rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The newsletter begins by nothing that "Organizations that provide necessa...

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