Essential News

Facebook has recently agreed to meet with anti-censorship campaigners regarding their policy regarding artistic nudity. The #WeTheNipple campaign was co-organized by National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and a renowned American artist, Spencer Tunick. Their publicity stunt on June 2, 2019 included 125 naked demonstrators that used images of men's nipples to cover their genitalia, in protest of Facebook's censorship policies. Facebook had agreed to meet with the NCAC and other stakeholders. Facebook

Part I of the buying and selling series focused on representations and warranties when entering into a purchase agreement to sell a business. This part II of the series focuses on specifically the indemnification section of the purchase contract. This is another section of the purchase contract that is typically glossed over, but should be reviewed carefully. The representations and warranties let them know factual statements about the business. The indemnifications section spells out how

On December 6, 2018, the DME MACs issued a joint publication notifying suppliers of a change in the way to bill for bilateral products dispensed on the same day. Previously, when two of the same items are given to patients for use on both limbs, the claim is billed with the RTLT modifier and 2 units of service. Effective for claims with dates of service on or after March 1, 2019, suppliers must bill bilateral products on two separate claim lines. One line will have the HCPCS code with the RT modifier

A study was recently released that found that the majority of women who underwent a lumpectomy or a mastectomy for breast cancer report that the scars from the surgeries negatively impact their daily lives. One-third of the patients said that their physicians did not tell them about surgical options that would minimize scarring.  The researchers surveyed 487 women nationwide. This is the first peer-reviewed study that examined the negative association of surgical scars and breast cancer survivorship,

A drug that can slow the progression of advanced breast cancer has been shown for the first time to lengthen survival in women who developed the disease before or during menopause. In the study, 70% of those who took the drug alongside their standard treatment were still alive 3 1/2 years later, compared to a survivorship of 46% with those who received their treatment alone. This treatment uses drugs to block estrogen or the body from producing estrogen. This new development only applies to women

Are you thinking of buying or selling a business? Within the actual purchase agreement, representations and warranties are one of the biggest causes for post-closing disputes, but they are often overlooked. This section is where the parties make factual statements and the condition of their business as of a certain date. Typically, sellers give more exhaustive representations than buyers, which makes sense since the seller is making representations on the business as a whole. The buyer would make

Many providers who primarily accept Medicare reimbursement are looking to cash as the answer. If a Medicare beneficiary wants to pay cash, do you have to let them know that the item may be covered by Medicare? The answer is yes. This goes for not only independent providers, but bigger national retailers as well.  If a provider has a reason to suspect that a customer is a Medicare beneficiary, it's better to err on the side of caution and go through the Advanced Beneficiary Notice

June 4, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment being passed by Congress. Suffragettes changed the course of history because they fought for the right to vote. This battle was not won overnight; it took over 100 years of persistence to affect change. Suffragettes were told that the battle was not worth the fight or that it was too radical of a change. Most of us cannot imagine a world without being able to perform this simple civic duty. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act was

The FDA recently approved the PI3K inhibitor Piqray for the treatment of postmenopausal women and men with HR-positive, HER2-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer following profession on or after an endocrine-based regimen.  Piqray is the first PI3K inhibitor to show clinically meaninful benefit in treating patients with this type of breast cancer. Treating a patient's specific genetic mutation is becoming increasingly more common in cancer treatment.  Read

A new study shows that there is a way to detect lymphedema early. Typically, a patient with potential lymphedema is screened through a tape measure evaluation. A new technology, bioimpedance spectroscopy, or BIS, sends an electrical signal into the extremity that can detect lymphedema before a tape evaluation. The new study found that BIS helped discover symptoms better than just a traditional tape measure, but it allowed patients to receive treatment that could potentially reverse the progression.