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Pay equity among physicians is not a new topic, and recent data suggests that the pay gap remains wide. 504 Maryland physicians responded to an updated survey on compensation, benefits and practice metrics conducted by Merritt Hawkins on behalf of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society. The results of MedChi’s first survey were released in…

Healthcare companies continue to face increased risks of ransomware attacks on their operations. According to the recently released BD Cybersecurity Annual Report for 2021, such attacks are also increasingly sophisticated. Management can take important steps to minimize the risks of this form of cybercrime.

Ransomware

Ransomware is malware that encrypts files on a device,…

This month, Doximity issued its Fifth Annual 2021 Physician Compensation Report. With the continued strain of the pandemic spanning 2021, the self-reported physician data reflected widespread burnout and early retirement, especially by female physicians. With respect to physician compensation, Doximity findings demonstrated:

  • While average doctor pay increased 3.8 percent between 2020 and 2021, there was

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In December 2020, Congress passed the “No Surprises Act” (NSA) as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The NSA applies most commonly in situations where a patient receives out-of-network medical services from a provider to whom the patient had no meaningful opportunity to consent, as in the case of emergency room care or…

On December 15, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted, in part, the federal administration’s motion to stay the nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (“CMS”) from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate nationwide as to non-plaintiff states. Louisiana et al v. Becerra et al., No. 3:12-cv-03970 (W.D. La. December…

Title VII prohibits discrimination at the workplace based on race, color, sex, and national origin. But, only “employees” can bring claims under Title VII as the law does not protect independent contractors. The Tenth Circuit (covering Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah) was asked to determine whether a locum tenens physician was an…

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to enjoin New York State from enforcing its regulation requiring COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers despite the fact that the regulation did not allow for religious accommodations. The Court did not issue any written opinion or rationale but was accompanied by a 14-page dissent by Justice Gorsuch.…

Physicians often have a legal obligation to report conduct which they believe may constitute negligence, or demonstrate an individual’s inability to practice medicine competently, safely, or within the bounds of the relevant code of medical ethics. Because of the nature of the information required to be reported, it is not unusual for the physician (or…

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has granted a preliminary injunction enjoining the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate nationwide. Louisiana et al. v. Becerra et al., No. 3:12-CV-03970 (W.D. La. Nov. 30, 2021). This injunction takes immediate effect. The Louisiana federal court carved…

Ten states filed a lawsuit challenging CMS’ Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring COVID-19 vaccination amongst a wide range of staff working at Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction, pending a trial on the merits of the claims,…