Skip to main content

Cassandra L. Paolillo

(she/her/hers)

Associate

[email protected]

+1.617.348.1828

Share:

Cassie’s practice primarily involves advising health care clients on transactional and regulatory matters. Cassie has served as deal counsel on a number of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and affiliations for clients across the health care spectrum, including a Fortune 250 kidney care company, and providers of radiology services, addiction treatment, and behavioral health services. She also regularly acts as a subject matter expert, advising clients on HIPAA/privacy compliance, telehealth and other digital health matters, corporate practice issues, professional and facility licensing, determinations of need/certificates of need, and Medicare and Medicaid compliance. Cassie also has experience advising non-profit organizations on matters related to formation and corporate governance. 

Throughout her career, Cassie has worked with providers, payors, and individual patients, so she understands the unique challenges facing clients in the ever-changing health care landscape. She enjoys working with interdisciplinary teams to come up with creative solutions to her clients’ problems. 

Prior to joining Mintz, Cassie worked as in-house counsel at a national senior living company. There she advised the business on matters related to state and federal health care regulations, physician arrangements, reimbursement, fraud and abuse, and HIPAA/privacy. Cassie’s in-house experience informs current her practice, enabling her to anticipate and relate to clients’ legal and business needs.

Cassie is particularly passionate about addressing access to behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment, especially for underserved communities, and she currently serves on the Board of the South Boston Collaborative Center, a substance abuse and mental health treatment center located in South Boston. 

viewpoints

Health Care Viewpoints Thumbnail
As we previously covered, in March 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced a proposed rule on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth, aimed at addressing the “telehealth cliff” that was expected to occur once the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends on May 11, 2023. The proposed rule provided some flexibility, but required a much more restrictive framework for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth compared to the flexibilities available during the PHE. During the 30-day comment period following the announcement of the proposed rule, the DEA received over 38,000 comments, which the agency says it is closely reviewing. Many commentators across the health care industry criticized the proposed rule because the in-person examination requirement would limit access to care. The DEA, working with the Department of Health and Human Services, is also considering revisions to the proposed rule. 
Read more
With just over two months before the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) expected expiration on May 11, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has finally announced its proposed rule on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth. This post provides continued coverage of telehealth updates and dissects what this DEA's proposed rule could entail. 
Read more
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), which was originally declared nearly three years ago, has been renewed through April 2023. As we’ve previously covered, the PHE allowed federal and state regulators to relax certain telehealth requirements, which has led to a rapid expansion in the availability of telehealth services. The Biden Administration has committed to provide at least 60 days’ notice prior to terminating the PHE or allowing it to expire, but several news outlets are reporting that this could be the final extension. 
Read more
Bridgette Keller speaks with the Mintz Health Law team about what they are grateful for as they look back on a year of client service, mentorship, and working together as a team.
Read more
Covered Entities and Business Associates should promptly and carefully review their use of online tracking technologies on their websites and mobile apps following a bulletin (Bulletin) published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) last week.  The Bulletin addresses multiple facets of compliance with HIPAA when using online third-party tracking technologies (Tracking Technologies).  In doing so, OCR significantly expands its interpretation of the definition of Protected Health Information (PHI) to include, in some instances, identifiable information gathered by Tracking Technologies where a user visits a website and does not interact with the entity in any other way. In its Bulletin, OCR interprets the act of an individual visiting a website as evidence of a relationship or anticipated future relationship between the visitor and the entity.
Read more
Many of the flexibilities upon which telehealth providers have come to rely in recent years are tied to the federal Public Health Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic (PHE). As we move into Fall 2022, we review the current state of the PHE flexibilities around Medicare reimbursement and prescription of controlled substances, examine pending legislation that, if passed, would bring greater certainty to patients and providers, and discuss what we know about the status of a possible PHE extension.
Read more
Telehealth has the potential to counteract historical disparities in access to health care. Listen to hear how Andy Ward, Director of the South Boston Collaborative Center, and Kate Steinle, Chief Clinical Officer of Folx Health, are leveraging telehealth to serve their communities.
Read more
As we’ve previously covered, while Congress has acted to extend certain COVID-era telehealth flexibilities (mostly related to Medicare coverage) beyond the Public Health Emergency (PHE), the future of prescribing controlled substances via telehealth is uncertain.  Although the American Telemedicine Association and other industry groups continue to advocate for changes to allow telehealth providers to prescribe controlled substances in certain circumstances, without further action by Congress or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), telehealth providers who prescribe controlled substances will need to conduct an in-person examination of the patient once the PHE ends. 
Read more
Read less

News & Press

Press Release Thumbnail
35 Mintz attorneys have been named Massachusetts Super Lawyers and 25 Mintz attorneys have been named Massachusetts Rising Stars for 2022.
Read less

Events & Speaking

Speaker
Apr
4
2023

Tracking Technologies in Health Care

Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation

Online Event

Webinar Reference Image
Panelist
Dec
1
2020

Telehealth: What's Next?

Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL) Event

Online Event

Webinar Reference Image
Read less

Recognition & Awards

  • Included on the Massachusetts Rising Stars: Health Care list (2022)
Read less

Involvement

  • Member, American Health Law Association
  • Member, Boston Bar Association
  • Board Member, South Boston Collaborative Center
Read less

Cassandra L. Paolillo

(she/her/hers)

Associate

Boston