AHLA's Health Lawyers Weekly

With AHLA's permission, here's the Table of Contents of today's issue of Health Lawyers Weekly:

I. Top Stories:

• House Clears HIT Legislation
• FDA To Improve Transparency Of Advisory Panel Conflicts, Official Says

II. Articles & Analyses:

• A Discussion About Alternative Dispute Resolution In The Healthcare Field
• 2005-2006 In-House Counsel Year In Review
• 2005-2006 Labor And Employment Year In Review

III. Current Topics:

A. Criminal Law

• Seventh Circuit Says Dentist May Not Withdraw Guilty Plea To Medicaid Fraud

B. Employment and Labor

• New Jersey Supreme Court Says Shareholder-Director Of Radiology Practice Not An "Employee" Under State's Whistleblower Protection Statute

C. ERISA

• U.S. Court In Pennsylvania Says ERISA Pre-Empts Hospital’s Contract Claims Against Insurers

D. Fraud and Abuse

• Update

E. Health Information Technology

• CDC Finds Increasing Percentage Of Office-Based Physicians Using Electronic Medical Records

F. Hospitals and Health Systems

• Oregon Health System Settles Charity Care Lawsuit
• U.S. Court In New Jersey Rejects Lawsuit Against Health System For Overcharging Uninsured
• Labor Union Ordered To Pay $17.3 Million For Defaming Hospital System
• Long Term Care OIG Finds State Survey Agencies Failed To Investigate Serious Complaints At Nursing Homes Within Required Timeframes

G. Managed Care

• California Governor Issues Executive Order To End "Balance Billing"
• Medicaid Sixth Circuit Upholds Dismissal Of Most § 1983 Claims Against Michigan Officials For Failure To Provide Services Mandated By Medicaid Act
• States To Receive $1.75 Billion To Offer Alternative Long Term Care Options Under Medicaid
• CMS Announces New Policies For Medicaid Asset Transfers, Improved Coordination Of Care
• CMS OKs Landmark Massachusetts Healthcare Reform Plan

H. Medical Malpractice

• Texas Appeals Court Finds Error In Dismissal Of Malpractice Action Against Laboratory

I. Medicare

• House Panel Considers Medicare Physician Payment Fixes
• GAO Finds Few Major Access Problems Reported By Medicare Beneficiaries For Physician Services
• CMS Announces Payment Updates For Home Health Services, Nursing Homes

J. News in Brief

• CMS Announces $150 Million In Transformation Grants For State Medicaid Programs
• CMS Issues Final Part D Marketing Guidelines
• CMS Awards Contracts To Test Transfer Of Medicare Data To PHRs For Online Use

K. Physicians

• California Appeals Court Rejects Physician's Retaliatory Eviction And Suspension Claims Against Hospital
• California Supreme Court Holds Hospital Could File Anti-SLAPP Motion To Strike Complaint Arising From Peer Review Proceedings