2020 Legislative and Regulatory Update

Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Place: Cisco WebEx

Our speakers will be Greg Ensell, Liz Lorenz, Debbie Johnston and Greg Harris.

Program summary:

This program will focus on legislative changes made this year by the Arizona Legislature.  In addition, the panel will discuss the state and federal response to COVID-19 with a focus on the framework for the issuance of executive and administrative orders and regulatory waivers.

Program logistics:

Due to the current social distancing recommendations, this program will be held via video conference on September 15, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. through Cisco WebEx.  This program will be $5 for members and $10 for non-members.

To register, please visit our website https://azsha.org/, click upcoming programs, on the right you will see a button that says “Register for Next Program Pay Now”. This button will take you to a screen with multiple payment options. Please select your membership level. If you are a member, please login and proceed with the payment process. If you are not a member, you will have to create a username and password to continue with the payment process. If you are a member, but you paid your annual dues via check rather than online, please reach out to Mackenzie Mayfield to create an account for you, which will allow you to select the membership rate. 

  Once you have registered online, you will receive a calendar invite containing the WebEx link. Please note, you don’t need to sign up for a WebEx Account to join a meeting.

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement. This activity may qualify for up to 1 hour of CLE credit, 0 hours of ethics, toward your annual requirement for the State Bar of Arizona.

Speaker Bios:

Greg Ensell

Greg Ensell is Vice President, Government Relations with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA). In that capacity, he leads the organization’s lobbying and political engagement efforts. For more than twenty years, Mr. Ensell has held public affairs and government relations positions for organizations including, Cox Communications, the Arizona State Senate, and the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Elizabeth B. Lorenz (Liz)

Elizabeth B. Lorenz (Liz) the Director of Policy at the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.  In this role, Liz analyzes and tracks policy developments and projected impacts on Arizona’s hospitals with a focus on federal legislation, regulations, and guidance as well as state regulations and policy changes. Prior to joining AzHHA, Liz served as Assistant Director for the Office of Intergovernmental Relations at AHCCCS. In that capacity, Liz managed the agency’s relations with federal and state policymakers, CMS, Native American tribes, and oversaw external communications.  Previously, Liz was professional staff to the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee during the Affordable Care Act debate and was a subject matter expert for the Committee on a variety of health care issues.  Liz has also worked in the private sector as an attorney in both New York City and Washington, D.C.  Liz has an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law.

Debbie Johnston

Debbie Johnston is the Executive Vice President for the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA). She has been with the association for 16 years, where she has served as the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Senior Vice President of Policy Development. In her current role, she provides leadership and strategic direction overseeing the development of AzHHA’s state and federal policy priorities and supervising the Policy and Advocacy Team. She also provides executive leadership for the Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response, a program administered by AzHHA under a federal grant.

Before joining AzHHA, Ms. Johnston worked at the Arizona State Senate as Director of Research Staff and lead staff for the Appropriations and Commerce Committees. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and Arizona State University.

Greg Harris

Greg Harris practice includes administrative and regulatory matters as well as government relations.  He is a partner at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP with experience with agency practices and administrative matters.  Since joining Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, he served on two state licensing boards, including the State Board of Nursing.  He also served on the Board of Directors of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.  He also served as a commissioner on the Commission of Massage Therapy Accreditation.  Greg is an adjunct professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU.  He teaches state administrative law and government relations.

Before joining Lewis Roca, Greg worked at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, where he represented a number of agencies, boards or commissions.  In addition, he worked as a trial attorney at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  He also worked for the Arizona Department of Insurance on enforcement, rule and legislative matters and as its administrative law judge. 

Information Blocking: What Health Care Providers Need to Know

Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Place: Cisco WebEx

Our speaker is Melissa (Mel) Soliz. Mel is a partner at Coppersmith Brockelman, PLC. She focuses her practice on compliance with data privacy and access laws in the health care space.  

On May 1, 2020, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published the Cures Act Final Rule on interoperability, information blocking and the ONC health IT certification program. The deadline for compliance with the prohibition on information blocking component of the Final Rule is November 2, 2020. Mel Soliz will cover what health care providers need to know about information blocking, including what practices might implicate the prohibition on information blocking, the potential penalties and enforcement structure, and what health care providers will need to do to qualify for an information blocking safe harbor.  

Due to the current social distancing recommendations, this program will be held via video conference on June 25, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. through Cisco WebEx.  This program will be free of charge.  

Please RSVP in advance by e-mail to mmayfield@cblawyers.com. Once you email Mackenzie, she will send you the calendar invite containing the WebEx link. Please note, you don’t need to sign up for a WebEx Account to join a meeting.

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement. This activity may qualify for up to 1 hour of CLE credit, 0 hours of ethics, toward your annual requirement for the State Bar of Arizona.

Speaker Bio:

Mel Soliz is a dedicated and goal-oriented attorney who practices in the area of regulatory health law. She assists her clients, which range from innovative start-up companies to large healthcare organizations, in structuring real world policies, programs and agreements to ensure that their healthcare practices are compliant with state and federal laws, while maximizing client goals. Mel’s practice focuses on HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 compliance (the federal Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Record regulations), compliance with opioid treatment laws and regulations, health information exchange (including compliance with new information blocking rules), data breaches and OCR investigations, as well as clinical research compliance and contracting.

Date: February 13, 2020

Time: 3:00 pm to 5:00 p.m.

Place: Phoenix Country Club

2901 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014

Back by popular demand, we are privileged to present the Year in Review from the American Health Lawyers Association, a tour through all of the major developments in health care law for the past year. Our speakers are Jack Schroder, Kristen Rosati and Robert Homchick.

Jack Schroder, Jr., Retired Partner, Alston & Bird, LLP, Atlanta, Georgia: Mr. Schroder’s practice encompassed all aspects of health care law, including regulatory compliance, credential/peer review, defense of government enforcement actions, certificates of need and legislative advocacy. He served as general counsel for the Georgia Hospital Association for more than 30 years. He has drafted a significant number of health care statutes, including one of the first “no code” laws in the country. He is author of Credentialing Strategies for a Changing Environment, part of BNA’s Health Law & Business Series. He is a frequent lecturer on programs sponsored by the American Health Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.

Kristen Rosati, Partner, Coppersmith Brockelman PLC: Kristen has deep experience in all things “Big Data,” including HIPAA compliance and data breaches, health information exchange, data sharing for research and clinical integration initiatives, clinical research compliance, clinical trials contracting, and biobanking and genomic privacy. Kristen Rosati is a Past President of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA). She currently serves on the planning committee for the AHLA Academic Medical Centers and Teaching Hospitals Institute and the planning committee for the AHLA Artificial Intelligence Convener Session. Kristen has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for health care since 2007 and was Best Lawyers’ 2017 and 2014 Phoenix Health Care Law “Lawyer of the Year.” She was chosen as one of Outstanding Business Women in Arizona in 2017 and one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Arizona Business in 2013, and received the Health Care Leadership Award for Legal Advocate of the Year in 2014. She is also recognized in Super Lawyers and Chambers for health care.

Robert G. Homchick, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP:  As a healthcare regulatory attorney, Bob Homchick counsels clients in areas such as physician self-referral (i.e., the federal Stark Law and its state law counterparts), regulatory compliance, and fraud and abuse. Bob also regularly represents hospitals, physicians, ancillary services providers, and others in a wide variety of transactional matters including mergers, acquisitions and affiliations, and the formation and operation of joint ventures. His extensive experience includes the development and implementation of compliance programs, defending providers in government audits, investigations, administrative proceedings and litigation, including qui tam False Claims Act lawsuits.

This program will be held on February 13, 2020 at 3:00 pm at the Phoenix, Country Club, 2901 N. 7th Street, Phoenix. With a Happy Hour and hors d’ouevres  – $60 for AzSHA members and law students/$75 for non-members.

Please RSVP in advance by e-mail to mmayfield@cblawyers.com. You may pay at the door or send your check in advance (payable to Arizona Society of Health Care Attorneys) to Mackenzie Mayfield, Coppersmith Brockelman 2800 N. Central Ave. Ste. 1900 Phoenix, AZ 85004. Whether or not you pay in advance, you must RSVP prior to the program.

This Program will be eligible for 2 hours of CLE credit.

Register early. Enrollment is limited. I will attend the February 13, 2020 Program.

Place: Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie at Collier Center, 201 East Washington Street, 3rd Floor

Date: December 17, 2019

Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Our speakers will be Tim Mechlinski and Ben Runkle.

Join Tim Mechlinski and Ben Runkle for a discussion about the use of statistical sampling and extrapolation in government investigations, payer audits, and false claims act lawsuits. Tim and Ben will walk through the steps for selecting a statistical sample and calculating a valid statistical estimate.  Along the way, they will highlight common sampling and extrapolation errors, and identify documents to request from the party offering the statistical estimate. 

This program will be held on December 17, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s office in Phoenix. Lunch will be served – $10 for AzSHA paid members and $15 for non-members. Law students may attend for free.

Please RSVP in advance by e-mail to mmayfield@cblawyers.com. You may pay at the door or send your check in advance (payable to Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys) to Mackenzie Mayfield, Coppersmith Brockelman, 2800 N. Central Ave. Ste. 1900, Phoenix, Arizona 85004. Whether or not you pay in advance, you must RSVP prior to the program.

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement. This activity may qualify for up to 1 hour toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona.

call in information:

To access by phone, use the following dial-in number:

1-844-621-3956

Access code: 920 156 976

If you are calling in, PLEASE put your telephone on mute.

If you have trouble calling in, please contact Sabrina Spellman at sspellman@lrrc.com (send message high priority).

For CLE credits and materials for this program, please contact Mackenzie Mayfield .

OFFICE Location – https://www.lrrc.com/phoenix#map

Take I-10W to Washington Street. Exit and turn left at Washington Street for 2 miles and follow it to Collier Center (Bank of America building), located on the south side of Washington Street. Turn left into the parking garage just before 2nd Street. Collier Center is on the southeast corner of 2nd Street and Washington.

Take the garage elevators up to the 2nd floor (Collier Center Lobby), then take the far bank of elevators (floors 2-14) to Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s 3rd floor for the Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys Meeting.

Speaker Bio:

Tim Mechlinski is a seasoned healthcare management consultant with a background in social science research. Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to: competitive bid response development for statistical sampling and overpayment estimation for FWA auditing: Medicaid managed care RFPs, including TANF/CHIP, LTSS, I/DD, and child welfare lines of business; research and white paper development; program evaluation, survey design, and data analysis; data validation and program integrity review for behavioral health; and strategic planning.

Ben Runkle is an attorney at Gammage & Burnham whose practice includes assisting healthcare providers in a variety of regulatory and other matters.  Prior to joining the firm, Ben worked in state government representing the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and the Division of Developmental Disabilities.  In both the public and private sectors, Ben has advocated for clients in cases involving the use of statistical sampling and extrapolation. 

Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Place: Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie at Collier Center

201 East Washington Street, 3rd Floor

Our speakers will be Bryan Bailey, Allison Davis and Paul Giancola.

A discussion of the business of out-of-network  billing and how it works, including the benefits, strategies, balance billing  and risks  along with  the significant  lawsuits filed by insurers against providers alleging improper out-of-network billing practices. We will also discuss what are so- called “surprise medical bills” involving out-of-network providers and the response of Arizona contained in “Out-of-Network Claim Dispute Resolution“, ARS 20-3111 et. seq.), other states and Congress.

This program will be held on November 12, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s office in Phoenix. Lunch will be served – $10 for AzSHA paid members and $15 for non-members. Law students may attend for free.

Please RSVP in advance by e-mail to mmayfield@cblawyers.com. You may pay at the door or send your check in advance (payable to Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys) to Mackenzie Mayfield, Coppersmith Brockelman, 2800 N. Central Ave. Ste. 1900, Phoenix, Arizona 85004. Whether or not you pay in advance, you must RSVP prior to the program.

The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement. This activity may qualify for up to 1 hour toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona.

call in information:

To access by phone, use the following dial-in number:

1-844-621-3956

Access code: 920 156 976

If you are calling in, PLEASE put your telephone on mute.

If you have trouble calling in, please contact Sabrina Spellman at sspellman@lrrc.com (send message high priority).

For CLE credits and materials for this program, please contact Mackenzie Mayfield .

OFFICE Location – https://www.lrrc.com/phoenix#map

Take I-10W to Washington Street. Exit and turn left at Washington Street for 2 miles and follow it to Collier Center (Bank of America building), located on the south side of Washington Street. Turn left into the parking garage just before 2nd Street. Collier Center is on the southeast corner of 2nd Street and Washington.

Take the garage elevators up to the 2nd floor (Collier Center Lobby), then take the far bank of elevators (floors 2-14) to Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s 3rd floor for the Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys Meeting.

Speaker Bio:

 Bryan Bailey has a broad-based practice in health care law and business transactions.  He represents individuals and companies in the health care and life sciences industries regarding transactional, regulatory and operational issues. He has extensive experience helping clients structure, negotiate and implement effective and compliant relationships with their business partners, including hospital/physician joint ventures, management and administrative service arrangements, professional service agreements and other business relationships. He regularly advises clients regarding federal and state health care laws and regulations, including the Anti-Kickback laws, the Stark Law, HIPAA, Federal and State licensing and certification requirements and a myriad of other health care laws. Bryan is one of a handful of attorneys in Arizona with substantial experience advising health care providers regarding Medicare and Medicaid (AHCCCS) reimbursement laws, including representing providers involved in governmental and commercial payor audits, investigations and appeals. He also represents providers in government investigations and enforcement actions related to licensing and health care claims.

Allison Davis is an associate at Snell & Wilmer, LLP. Her practice is focused on health care and insurance transactions and compliance. Her practice in that space includes the sale and acquisition of physician groups and other entities,  corporate structuring and reorganization, licensing, and regulatory compliance. Allison also advises private and public companies on general corporate matters including mergers and acquisitions and SEC reporting.  Allison is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law and holds a Masters in Health Care Administration from the University of Iowa.

Paul Giancola is a partner at Snell & Wilmer, LLP.  His practice is focused on healthcare regulatory compliance, transactions such as joint ventures in ambulatory surgery centers and labs, practice acquisitions and separations, hospital peer review, and government regulatory investigations and self-reporting for billing fraud, HIPAA, and  licensing violations. He teaches Health Care Fraud at the ASU Law School, and lectures on legal topics at the University of Arizona-Phoenix College of Medicine.

Sign up for AzSHA’s first ever one-day conference to provide valuable training to new associates and in-house counsel, compliance officers, consultants and others who advise health care clients in Arizona.

This is also a great refresher for more experienced professionals who want to stay engaged with recent developments in health law and network with their colleagues.

The conference will survey a variety of health laws ranging from Medicare/Medicaid and Fraud and Abuse to privacy laws and professional/facility licensing. It is presented through a practical lens: learning health law basics through starting a health care practice. Registrants will have access to practical guidance documents, such as template contracts, consent forms and checklists. Finish the day by networking with your colleagues during social hour.

Register Today: Email Mackenzie Mayfield at MMayfield@cblawyers.com      

Date / Location

  • January 13, 2020 (starts at 9am)
  • Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law 111 E. Taylor Street, Room #544, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Important Deadlines

  • Early Registration Discount: November 30, 2019
  • Registration Deadline: December 31, 2019

Registration Fees

  • Early Registration: $80 members / $115 non-members
  • Regulation Registration: $100 members / $135 non-members
  • Law Student Registration: $25

Not a member yet? Become an AzSHA member today for only $35!

CLE Credits

  • Up to 6 CLE credits and 1 hour of ethics credit

Our Sponsors

  • ASU, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Center for Law, Science and Innovation
  • Berkley Research Group
  • Coppersmith Brockelman PLC
  • ASU Health Law Society

You can Sponsor too! Email: msoliz@cblawyers.com

TO: Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys FROM: Marki Stewart, Secretary/Treasurer September 24, 2019 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT Updates from the Arizona Medical Board Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm Place: Lewis Roca…

This content is for AzSHA members only.
Register
Already a member? Log in here

CLICK HERE FOR PDF OF THE OFFICIAL FLYER: Presidential Health Policies Flyer

Dear AzSHA Members,

We would like to clarify that this event requires an RSVP, which you can do by clicking the “RSVP” link below. 

ASU Downtown offers its guests two options for parking. Visitors may park at either the University Center Building’s garage (UCENT Garage) located on 1st street and Polk, or at the Cronkite visitor’s lot on Central and Fillmore. I have attached a map with the areas highlighted.

**Please note: Due to construction on Polk at Central Avenue, the UCENT Garage is only accessible from 1st street and Polk. 

I encourage you to contact Lindsay.Stephens@asu.edu with any parking questions.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any other questions. 

 

Join Us for a Special Presentation!
PRESIDENTIAL HEALTH LAW & POLICY POSITIONS – ELECTION 2020

Hosted By:
ASU Center for Public Health Law and Policy (CPHLP)
Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys (AzSHA)
ASU Health Law Society

Beus Center for Law and Society | Room 240
111 E Taylor St, Phoenix AZ 85004
Tuesday, October 8 | 12:15 -1:15 p.m.

Featuring:
James G. Hodge,

Jr. Erica White

Michelle Castagne

Lunch Provided – Please RSVP by October 1, 2019

 

TO: Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys FROM: Marki Stewart, Secretary/Treasurer August 21, 2019 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT Behavioral Health Crisis? A Panel Discussion on the Availability and Funding of SMI Services Time:…

This content is for AzSHA members only.
Register
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Arizona Law and Health Current to Co-Host Health Law Reception at UA Phoenix Biomedical Campus, August 15

We invite Arizona Law alumni, health care professionals, and others who are interested in connecting and learning about exciting new initiatives in the health law and policy field to attend the inaugural reception co-hosted by Arizona Law and Health Current at the UA Phoenix Biomedical Campus on August 15.

“Health Current is the health information exchange (HIE) for the state of Arizona,” says Professor Tara Sklar. “They are the leaders in integrating electronic health records with delivery of care to improve patients’ health and wellbeing.” Over 85 percent of the health care providers in the state (500 organizations and 3,000-plus members) participate in Health Current.

Associate Dean Christopher Robertson adds, “We are delighted to partner with an innovative technology platform that will enable better clinical decisions and care coordination throughout the state.”

The reception will include a high-level overview from Health Current’s in-house counsel and privacy officer Chase Millea on recent developments in health information technology.

This presentation is part of a new online course, Legal and Regulatory Aspects for Health Care Delivery, that will be offered in Fall 2019 by Professor of Practice Tracy Nuckolls (’70) as part of Arizona Law’s Graduate Certificates in Health Law.

The reception will also feature Professor of Law Roy Spece and highlight the JD Health Law Certificate.

No Cost to Attend | Space is Limited

REGISTER HERE

For questions concerning event content and Arizona Law’s Health Law Programs, please contact: Tara Sklar, JD, MPH, Professor of Health Law, Director of Graduate Health Sciences Programs, at trsklar@email.arizona.edu

For information regarding the event logistics, please contact: Leah Won, JD (’05), Assistant Dean, College of Law Phoenix Initiatives, James E. Rogers College of Law, The University of Arizona, leahwon@email.arizona.edu