ML Strategies

Increasing the minimum wage and reforming the unemployment insurance (“UI”) system in Massachusetts are the two major employment issues facing the 2013–2014 Legislature, which comes to a close on July 31, 2014.

As the budget process heats up on Beacon Hill, ML Strategies will issue periodic updates regarding the process and politics that will shape this year’s budget. We begin by providing an overview of the budget timeline and a brief analysis on the budget process.

Industry stakeholders were generally surprised to recently learn that health plans offered on the health care exchanges may not be considered “federal health care programs” and therefore may not be subject to certain fraud and abuse laws.

A bicameral impetus to reform the SGR, and a coalescence around legislative principles, has been a rare bipartisan development in an otherwise divided Congress this year.

Because of the prolonged government shutdown, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may encounter delays in promulgating final payment rules that would otherwise be effective January 1, 2014.

Funding for Medicare and Medicaid is mandatory, meaning it is not subject to annual appropriations that lapse during a shutdown.

In today’s challenging health care environment, Charitable Patient Assistance Programs (Charitable PAPs) have emerged to meet the needs of the nearly 30 million Americans that are underinsured and have difficulty paying out-of-pocket medical costs.

In today’s challenging health care environment, Charitable Patient Assistance Programs (Charitable PAPs) have emerged to meet the needs of the nearly 30 million Americans that are underinsured and have difficulty paying out-of-pocket medical costs.

In today’s challenging health care environment, Charitable Patient Assistance Programs (Charitable PAPs) have emerged to meet the needs of the nearly 30 million Americans who are underinsured and have difficulty paying out-of-pocket medical costs.

In today’s challenging health care environment, Charitable Patient Assistance Programs (Charitable PAPs) have emerged to meet the needs of the nearly 30 million Americans that are underinsured and have difficulty paying out-of-pocket medical costs.

In today’s challenging health care environment, Charitable Patient Assistance Programs (Charitable PAPs) have emerged to meet the needs of the nearly 30 million Americans that are underinsured and have difficulty paying out-of-pocket medical costs.

On Sunday, four hours before the start of Massachusetts’ new fiscal year, the legislative conference committee tasked with ironing out differences between the House and Senate budget proposals agreed on a final compromise version (H 3538).

In today’s challenging health care environment, nearly 30 million Americans suffering from various chronic and life-threatening illnesses are underinsured and have difficulty paying their out-of-pocket medical costs.

On April 10th, President Obama released his 2014 budget proposal. Although actual appropriations levels ultimately depend on Congressional action, the President’s 244-page budget provides valuable insight into the Administration’s spending priorities, and its energy policy positions.

The Obama Administration released its proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget on April 10th. The 244-page document outlines the President’s spending priorities for the coming fiscal year.

In first days of 113th Congress, the House approved bipartisan legislation, hinting at possible increased cooperation on health care issues

The on again, off again nature of federal funding for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research has created a great deal of uncertainty for academic scientists, major research medical centers, venture capital investors, biotechnology companies, and state legislatures and economic development officials.

The 188th Massachusetts Legislature began the 2013 – 2014 legislative session on January 2. This alert identifies the key public policy issues that will likely emerge in the current session and offers insight into their possible implications.

On December 27, 2012, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule to amend regulations governing eligibility for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs and to implement provisions of the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011.