Health Law Reporter Index-Summary

H1N1 VIRUS

– Outlook 2010, top health law issues, 5
– Proposed CMS guidance, 906

HAITI

– Earthquake, Fla. expedited licensing for out-of-state nurses to meet shortage, 180

HART-SCOTT-RODINO (HSR) ACT

– Premerger filings

See generally MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

HAWAII

– Medicaid managed care mandated enrollment for aged, blind, or disabled (D. Haw.), 76

HCQIA

See HEALTH CARE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACT (HCQIA)

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT (HHS)

– Civil Rights Office, HIPAA security rule enforcement, 716
– Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight Office established, 664; Fowler appointment, 1023
– FY2011 budget

– – Department will seek no more funding despite health reform, 598
– – Health IT funding increase sought, 176
– – Medicare fraud strike force expansion sought, 173

– Semiannual agenda

– – HIPAA rule changes, 599
– – PPACA implementation, 1782

HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION RECONCILIATION ACT

See also PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (PPACA)
– Key provisions, BNA Special Report, 471
– Medical device tax repeal

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 5615

HEALTH CARE COVERAGE CONTINUATION

See COBRA (HEALTH CARE COVERAGE CONTINUATION)

HEALTH CARE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACT (HCQIA)

See also PEER REVIEW AND PEER REVIEW ORGANIZATIONS (PROs)
– Immunity

– – Adverse patient events not shown, removal from call schedule not unreasonable (M.D. Fla.), 1526
– – After-acquired evidence basis for upholding suspension (E.D. Mich.), 185
– – Cal., physician suspended for allegedly distributing pain medication illegally, no private right to sue (N.D. Cal.), 1493
– – Cardio-thoracic surgeon suspended prior to hearing (U.S., rev den), 105
– – Defense raised late, summary judgment for defendants upheld but fees and costs denied (N.D. Cal.), 949
– – External peer review, no privilege for adverse action without notice (D. Colo.), 1599
– – Ga., antitrust claims against hospital, officials, and staff members barred (M.D. Ga.), 1286
– – N.M., hospital failed to do reasonable fact-finding (N.M. Ct. App.), 151
– – Ohio, immunity applies to parties who revoked disruptive doctor's privileges (N.D. Ohio), 313
– – Refusal of medical school director to provide peer review information to another hospital (U.S., rev den), 79
– – Reliance on report from another facility, hospital immune from damages (Ind. Ct. App.), 389
– – Washington

– – – Committee members entitled to protection, OB/GYN fails to present material fact issues (Wash. Ct. App.), 40; (U.S., rev sought), 1468; (rev den), 1663
– – – Physicians involved in peer review (Wash. Ct. App.), 613

– NPDB

See NATIONAL PRACTITIONER DATA BANK (NPDB)

HEALTH CARE REFORM, FEDERAL

– Abortion, ban on use of federal funds, executive order, 464
– Accountable care organizations (ACOs)

See ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS (ACOs)

– Baucus (D-Mont) very confident about prospects, 209
– Changes to HR 3590, reconciliation bill

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 4872

– Children with pre-existing conditions, private insurers full compliance, 452
– Constitutionality challenge

See PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (PPACA)

– Federally mandated health insurance, Idaho governor signs opt out bill, 412
– Fraud and abuse

– – Anti-fraud provisions have support, 132
– – Provisions not in earlier bills, 275
– – Senate-passed bill provisions in anti-fraud bill

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 2964

– Hospital board responsibilities, BNA Analysis & Perspective, 81
– House Democrats considering options, hope to narrow strategy soon, 135
– House-passed bill

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 3962

– Insurance scams, Sebelius urges states to take action, 498
– Market competition and anticompetitive behavior, BNA Insights, 395
– New Obama proposal, 275; some GOP ideas acceptable, 304
– Obama urges Congress to finish job, 209
– Outlook 2010, top health law issues, 5
– Payment and delivery system reform, BNA Insights, 255
– Premiums will continue rising, Obama calls for action, 337
– Reconciliation bill, House Democrats waiting for final language and cost data, 381
– Senate Democrats considering options, 135
– Senate-passed bill

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 3590

– Signed by President Obama

See HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION RECONCILIATION ACT; PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (PPACA)

– Strategy unclear after State of Union address, 175
– Summit, Obama invites lawmakers, 237
– White House-industry deals, House panel resolution seeks records, 135

HEALTH CARE REFORM, STATE

– Fair share laws

See ERISA

– Mass., employer-subsidized health insurance requirement, inability to pay premium (Mass.), 601

HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGES (HIEs)

– Grants to fund state health information exchanges, 238
– Ill., governor signs law authorizing exchange, 1104
– Privacy issues, R.I. suit challenges state implementation (R.I. Super. Ct.), 943
– White House advisers' report on facilitating data exchange, 1744

HEALTH INSURANCE

See also specific states
– Antitrust issues

See generally ANTITRUST

– Appeals of insurance coverage or claims denials, interim final rule, 1061; proposal to extend information collections, 1750
– Assignment of benefits

See ASSIGNMENT OF BENEFITS

– BCBS

See BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD PLANS (BCBS)

– Cal., veto of bill requiring insurers to reimburse entire cost of childhood and adolescent vaccines, 1386
– Cancer-only insurance policies

– – “Actual charges,” retroactive application of S.C. law (4th Cir.), 239
– – Class certification and injunction (M.D. Tenn.), 30
– – Okla. “actual charges” law applies prospectively (W.D. Okla.), 904

– Child-only policies, elimination, House hearing, 1427
– Continuation coverage

See COBRA (HEALTH CARE COVERAGE CONTINUATION)

– Coverage policies

See COVERAGE AND REIMBURSEMENT POLICIES

– ERISA

See ERISA

– Fair share laws

See ERISA

– Financial difficulties, Natl. States Ins. Co. ordered into rehabilitation (Mo. Cir. Ct.), 503
– GINA

See GENETIC INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT (GINA)

– Health care reform law

See PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (PPACA)

– HIPAA

See HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA)

– McCarran-Ferguson Act

See MCCARRAN-FERGUSON ACT

– Medi-Share, religious group's medical care expense sharing program qualified as insurance (Ky.), 1243
– Medical loss ratio

See PREMIUMS AND RATES

– Mergers, DOJ will review carefully, 741
– “Mini-Meds,” Sen. Rockefeller says limited benefit plans give false security, 1700
– Okla. access fee on amount of claims paid by health insurers to help fund Medicaid (Okla.), 1216
– Premiums and rates

See PREMIUMS AND RATES

– Prompt payment

See CLAIMS PROCESSING

– Rescission

See RESCISSION

– Sherman Act and RICO violations by health insurers and brokers, dismissal of employee benefit plans and policy holders claims (3d Cir.), 1205
– Small businesses

See generally SMALL BUSINESSES

– Some hospitals have market power to get noncompetitive prices, study, 1665
– Subrogation

See SUBROGATION

– Thirty-party plan administrator not party to contract, cannot be forced to arbitrate (N.D. Tex.), 169

HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGES

– “Early innovator” grants, HHS announcement, 1519

HEALTH INSURANCE FRAUD

– Auto insurers

– – Allstate claims against providers may proceed (E.D.N.Y.), 1549
– – Review of assigned claims, discovery on providers' billing practices limited (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div.), 1459
– – State Farm suit against health care providers, award modified (E.D. Pa.), 808

– Misrepresentation not fraudulent (D.S.C.), 1027
– N.J. pharmacy and pharmacist, sentence includes restitution to health plans (D.N.J.), 1097
– Scams in wake of health care reform, Sebelius urges states to take action, 498
– Unlicensed chiropractor, penalty for N.J. pain management center and owner (N.J. Super. Ct.), 769

HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA)

– Final rules, HHS will release in 2011, 1745
– HITECH Act

See HITECH ACT

– Privacy

– – Background, HHS official, 1702
– – Breach notification, HHS progress on omnibus package of regulations, 454
– – Celebrity patients, former hospital worker pleads guilty (C.D. Cal.), 68
– – CVS Caremark, alleged mishandling of protected health information to injure independent retail pharmacies (S.D. Tex.), 1431
– – Disclosure for treatment purposes by physician no violation (Tenn. Ct. App.), 382
– – Discovery, ex parte patient interviews by plaintiff's counsel in qui tam suit (N.D. Ill.), 975
– – Disposal of prescriptions and labeled pill bottles, Rite Aid settles allegations, 1060
– – Facebook posting, medical technician fired, 1172
– – Final rule expected by early 2011, HHS, 1429
– – Fla., AvMed customers class action, theft of laptops with unencrypted information (Fla. Cir. Ct.), 1649
– – Ga., ex parte communications with plaintiff's treating physician subject to protective order (Ga.), 811; state law applies to discovery, 1603
– – Health Net assets acquired by United Healthcare, probe of possible violations urged, 139
– – Hospital and physician named in medical malpractice suit, order allowing ex parte contacts (D. Kan.), 1604
– – Informal ex parte interviews with nonparty physicians barred by HIPAA (Mo.), 1278
– – Interviews of physicians treating medical malpractice plaintiff not barred (D. Kan.), 1648
– – Kan., medical records and ex parte interviews with plaintiff's treating physician, limited disclosure (D. Kan.), 811
– – Ky. hospitals notify patients

– – – Federal jurisdiction, no substantial questions (W.D. Ky.), 1316
– – – Missing computer storage devices, 646

– – Mich., ex parte interviews with treating physicians (Mich.), 1024; (U.S., rev sought), 1509
– – Modification of rules, HHS proposal, BNA Insight, 1075
– – N.C., state dental board investigation subpoena of patient records (N.C. Ct. App.), 137
– – Nurse's retaliatory discharge claim may proceed (Tenn. Ct. App.), 1773
– – Philadelphia hospital, theft of laptop with unencrypted patient data, 1104
– – Physicians-only online networks, risks, 1430
– – “Red flag” rules

See IDENTITY THEFT

– – Reports to HHS of 35 large data breaches since reporting rule, 210
– – Unsolicited contacts by terminated radiologist, Conn. hospital notifies patients, 455
– – WellPoint data breach, Ind. Atty. Gen. sues for failure to provide timely notice (Ind. Super. Ct.), 1518

– Semiannual agenda, rule changes, 599

HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS (HMOs)

– BCBS of Mich., negotiation of rates with hospitals, not acting as fiduciary (6th Cir.), 1746
– Cal., patient care standards preempted by Medicare Advantage (Cal.), 413
– Copayment and coinsurance overcharges by Coventry Health Care HMO, certification, 2 cases (W.D. Mo.), 1321; copay cap applies to prescription drugs, 1704
– ERISA, primary care physician's suit against HMO not preempted (D. Nev.), 384
– Fiduciary duty breach, participants not told coverage advice from call center representatives not binding (7th Cir.), 937; Sec'y of Labor files amicus brief, 1749
– Florida

– – Hospital-based noncontract provider barred from balance billing (Fla. Dist. Ct.), 212
– – Out-of-network emergency services, no need to pay maximum prices (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.), 309

– Ga., any willing provider law, plan cannot bar physician group from networks, insurance commissioner, 535
– La., in-state HMOs preferred for state employees, constitutionality (5th Cir.), 568
– Mo., HMO violated state rule by charging copayment and coinsurance for single service, member standing (W.D. Mo.), 1490
– New York

– – MA sales agent licensing and prompt payment violations, Managed Health Inc. agrees to pay fine, 649
– – Prompt pay violations, 20 insurers and HMOs fined, 1245
– – Small businesses coverage program, fine ends probe of Aetna HMO, 214

– Pa., HMOs exempt from state bad faith insurance practices law (Pa. Super. Ct.), 212
– Telemedicine, new Va. law requires coverage, 503
– TRICARE, hospitals' claims against HMO providing services, class certification rejected (11th Cir.), 510

HEPATITIS

– Multidosing of injected anesthesia, jury award (Nev. Dist. Ct.), 693

HHAs (HOME HEALTH AGENCIES)

See generally HOME HEALTH CARE

HHS

See HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT (HHS)

HIEs

See HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGES (HIEs)

HIPAA

See HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA)

HITECH ACT

– Business associates of health care entities

– – Final rule by early 2011, 1429
– – Proposed rule changes, 978; hospital groups recommend easing burden, 1317
– – Risk assessments urged by HHS official, 1702
– – Warning about preparing to meet obligations from attorney, 1136

– Conn. attorney general files Health Net data breach charges (D. Conn.), 98; settlement, 936
– Constitutionality challenge, suit dismissed (S.D.N.Y.), 746
– Final rules, HHS will release in 2011, 1745
– Fla., AvMed customers class action, theft of laptops with unencrypted information (Fla. Cir. Ct.), 1649
– HHS Civil Rights Office, security rule enforcement, 716
– HIPAA privacy provisions

See HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA)

– Hospitals fail to meet security standards, study, 1611
– Ky. psychiatric hospital loss of patient information, no federal jurisdiction (W.D. Ky.), 1316
– Modification of rules, HHS proposal, BNA Insight, 1075
– New requirements, BNA Insights, 321
– Outlook 2010, top health law issues, 5
– Penalties, comments question changes, 137
– Standards and certification criteria for EHR technology, 976; response to rules, 1015

HIV

See AIDS AND HIV

HMOs

See HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS (HMOs)

HOME HEALTH CARE

– Apria Healthcare Group, related FCA cases settled, chance to refile for relator (7th Cir.), 744
– Ariz., around-the-clock care cut, injunction denied (D. Ariz.), 1030
– California

– – Preliminary injunction halts wage cuts for workers (9th Cir.), 345; class certified (N.D. Cal.), 876
– – Taxation, providers of in-home support services subject to sales tax, new law, 1569

– Colo., Medicaid in-home attendant care cuts (Colo. Dist. Ct.), 77
– Failure to file qui tam case under seal, dismissal (6th Cir.), 1422
– Fla., agency ownership change denied, purchaser terminated from Medicare (Fla. Dist. Ct.), 1492
– FY2011 payment rates

– – Decrease, proposed rule, 1034
– – Final rule, 4.89 percent cut, 1526

– Ill., right-to-work group seeks to invalidate state law allowing unions for aides (N.D. Ill.), 651; constitutional challenge to union organizing campaigns dismissed, 1658
– Nurses' claims for on-call wait time minimum wage dismissed (E.D. Wis.), 491
– Pa., home nursing care company not “domestic services” provider, not exempt under state Minimum Wage Act (Pa.), 1657
– Tenn., draft CON standards for home health services, 1455
– Unnecessary visits by physicians alleged, company agrees to pay, 24

HOSPICE CARE

– Coordination with LTC hospitals, proposed rule, 1493
– Increase of 1.8 percent for FY2011, 1034
– Provider cap rule

– – Collection of overpayment barred (W.D. Okla.), 1786
– – Enjoined as invalid (D.D.C.), 1525
– – Invalid regulation (W.D. Okla.), 841
– – Nationwide injunction declined, cap invalid (E.D.N.C.), 1564
– – Unlawful (N.D. Tex.), 312

HOSPITAL PAYMENT

– FY2011, review on HHS Inspector Gen. work plan, 1393
– GME

See GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (GME)

– Medicare underpayments to hospitals, $36B in 2009, AHA survey, 1752
– Outlier payments

See OUTLIER PAYMENTS

– Pay-for-performance

See PAY-FOR-PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS

– Prospective payment system

See PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM (PPS)

– Rural floor adjustment, challenge to HHS interpretation (D.C. Cir.), 36

HOSPITALS

– Acquiring physician practices, pitfalls, advice from lawyers, 861
– Adverse events screening, report, 357
– Alcohol dependency treatment facility, no duty to protect voluntary inpatient from sexual misconduct by nurse (Wash. Ct. App.), 43
– Anti-kickback laws

See ANTI-KICKBACK LAWS

– Antitrust issues

See ANTITRUST

– Arbitration

– – Income guarantee agreement, physician's civil rights counterclaim (E.D. Ark.), 707
– – Physician's employment contract dispute (W.D. Ky.), 1017

– Bankruptcy, late proof of claim, constructive notice (E.D.N.Y.), 1270
– Blood banks, postpartum hemorrhaging cause of mother's death, jury award against hospital due to errors (Minn. Dist. Ct.), 1529
– CAHs

See CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS (CAHs)

– Catholic hospitals

See CATHOLIC HOSPITALS

– Certificate of need

See CERTIFICATE OF NEED (CON)

– Charity care

See generally CHARITY CARE

– Coding

See CODING

– Collective bargaining

See COLLECTIVE BARGAINING; COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS; NURSES AND NURSING

– Computer fraud claims against pathologists for alleged removal of data (D.N.H.), 1102
– Corporate governance

See CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

– Corporate law developments in 2009, BNA Analysis & Perspective, 111
– Cost reports

See COST REPORTS

– Discrimination claims

– – ADA

See AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

– – Age

See AGE DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT ACT (ADEA)

– – Disabled persons

See AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA); DISABLED PERSONS; REHABILITATION ACT

– – GINA

See GENETIC INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT (GINA)

– – National origin

See NATIONAL ORIGIN DISCRIMINATION

– – Pregnancy

See PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION

– – Race or ethnicity

See RACIAL OR ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION

– – Religious

See RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION

– – Sex

See SEX DISCRIMINATION

– – Sexual orientation

See SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION

– Doctor's RICO suit against hospital chief executive officer fails to allege elements of violation (W.D. Pa.), 1693
– DSHs

See DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE HOSPITALS (DSHs)

– Duty of reasonable care to patients, direct liability possible (Tenn.), 1494; rehearing denied, 1754
– Elder abuse

See ELDER ABUSE

– Electronic health records

See ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS

– Employment taxes

– – “Responsible person,” failure to remit payroll taxes (W.D. Tex.), 1791
– – Unpaid, co-owners and official of affiliate company jointly and severally liable (5th Cir.), 1719

– EMTALA issues

See PATIENT DUMPING

– ERISA issues

See ERISA

– Federal Contract Compliance Programs Office jurisdiction

– – Expanding, 1093
– – TRICARE, subcontractor hospital (DOL OALJ), 1496

– Ga., provider revenue tax, 726
– Health IT, Grassley (R-Iowa) inquiry about contracts and incentives, 138
– HIPAA issues

See generally HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA)

– HITECH issues

See generally HITECH ACT

– Hospices, coordination with LTC hospitals, proposed rule, 1493
– Hospital-acquired infections

– – Bacterial meningitis, first fines under new Cal. standard, 619
– – Exposure to infectious diseases in health care setting, OSHA requests information, 682
– – State reporting programs, 1129

– Hospital bed collapse caused injuries, expert report required (Tex.), 1251
– Hurricane Katrina

See NATURAL DISASTERS

– Insurance coverage and reimbursement

See COVERAGE AND REIMBURSEMENT POLICIES

– Internet web sites and social media

See INTERNET

– IRS Form 990

See TAXATION

– Joint Commission

See JOINT COMMISSION

– Joint ventures that allow urologists to provide laser treatments to Medicare patients, claims dismissed (D.D.C.), 1777
– Jurisdiction test, Me. hospital website mentioning N.H. (1st Cir.), 523
– Kyphoplasty, Medicare overcharging, FCA claims settle, 712
– LSCs

See LIMITED SERVICE CLINICS (LSCs)

– Medical errors

See MEDICAL ERRORS

– Mental health court-ordered evaluation, Rooker-Feldman doctrine no bar to claims (2d Cir.), 190
– Mergers

See MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

– Minn. rural health cooperative, settlement of price collusion charges (FTC), 863
– “Most wired,” modest progress, 994
– Neb., temporary moratorium on new hospitals, 577
– N.J., hospital tax provisions amendment, 1031
– New York

– – Agreement to stop pharmaceutical waste discharges into watershed, 109
– – Midwives, new law eases requirement for written agreements with physicians or hospitals, 1113

– Nonprofit

See NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

– Nurses

See NURSES AND NURSING

– Outlook 2010, health law issues, 5
– Parental rights violation, refusal to let mother visit child, hospital must defend civil rights case (N.D. Ga.), 1662
– PATH

See PHYSICIANS AT TEACHING HOSPITALS (PATH)

– Patient safety

See SAFETY OF PATIENTS

– Pay-for-performance

See PAY-FOR-PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS

– Payment and delivery models, new relationships between physicians and hospitals, BNA Insights, 1612
– Pa., new tax, 1032
– Personal, medical, and financial information on stolen computer discs, failure to show injuries, dismissal (Or. Ct. App.), 1428
– Privacy issues

See generally PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

– Prompt payment, third-party administrator must pay hospital's full billed charges due to delays (N.D. Tex.), 1704
– PROs

See PEER REVIEW AND PEER REVIEW ORGANIZATIONS (PROs)

– PSOs

See PATIENT SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS (PSOs)

– Psychiatric

See PSYCHIATRIC CARE FACILITIES

– Public hospitals

See PUBLIC HOSPITALS

– Rate negotiations between United Healthcare and Continuum Health Partners group, statutory cooling off period (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), 189; agreement reached, 392
– Readmissions, FY2011 review on HHS Inspector Gen. work plan, 1393
– Recruitment agreements

See PHYSICIANS

– Self-referrals

See generally SELF-REFERRALS

– Sexual harassment of occupational therapists, hostile work environment claim fails (3d Cir.), 64
– Software developer took source code, ownership must be decided by jury (D. Minn.), 421
– Specialty hospitals

See SPECIALTY HOSPITALS

– Staff privileges

See STAFF PRIVILEGES

– Statutes of repose, indemnity claim against physicians time-barred (Ill. App. Ct.), 391
– Teaching hospitals

See TEACHING HOSPITALS

– Tennessee

– – Net patient revenue tax on hospitals, 727
– – Stroke registry act bars disclosure of hospital identity, state attorney general, 647

– Uninsured persons, rates

See generally UNINSURED PERSONS

– Verbal orders authentication requirements, Colo., 726
– Vicarious liability

– – Apparent agency of independent contractor, claim fails (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.), 1036
– – Assaults, tenants not liable for injury by third party (D. Mass.), 619
– – Common-law charitable immunity, since repealed, applicable to suit (Mass. App. Ct.), 952
– – Corporate negligence theory, suit may proceed (E.D. Pa.), 1330
– – Emergency room care by independent contractor, ostensible agency (Nev.), 987
– – Infusion pump defect, facility may be liable as seller or distributor (D. Mass.), 1789
– – Nurse's administration of Ativan without doctor's orders, negligent hiring, jury verdict (Tex. App.), 1145
– – Physicians and nurses need not be named as defendants (Ohio Ct. App.), 1252
– – Sexual assault by cardiologist, no liability for hospital (W.D. Mich.), 843
– – Tenn., suit against hospital even though case against physicians barred (Tenn.), 1495

– Violence in health care facilities, Joint Commission warning, 817
– Visitation rights of same-sex partners and others

– – HHS rules, 576
– – Patients' right to designate visitors, CMS proposed rule, 916; final rule, 1665

– Wages

See generally WAGES AND SALARIES

– Wash., new hospital assessment to obtain more Medicaid matching funds, 654

HOURS OF WORK

– Alaska, ban on mandatory overtime for nurses passed by legislature, 907
– Excessive hours complaint, bias claims of dismissed resident allowed (W.D. Va.), 865
– Maximum duty hours, proposed work standards for medical residents, 918
– Medical residents, consumer and health advocates petition Occupational Safety and Health Admin., 1271; AHA opposes petition to limit hours of residents, 1666
– Overtime pay

See OVERTIME

– Unilateral shift change violates contract, arbitration award (D.R.I.), 179