In mid-2004, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit became the first federal appellate court holding that the companionship services exemption under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSAâ€) could not be used by home health agencies to avoid paying its home care attendants minimum wage and overtime pay. (Coke v Long Island Care at Home, Ltd., 376 F3d 118 (2d Cir 2004)). Citing a 2005 Wage and Hour Advisory Memorandum issued by the Department of Labor (DOL), the US … [Read more...] about U.S. Supreme Court to Address Companionship Exemption Under FLSA
Archives for January 2007
Waiting for New FMLA Rules? DOL Wants Your Input by Feb. 2, 2007
The Department of Labor (DOL) has been promising new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) rules since 2002. In each subsequent Agenda published by the DOL, it promised that amendments would be out “soon.†Finally, the DOL announced in the December 1, 2006 Federal Register [http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/FMLARequestForInformation.pdf] that it wants your comments on the FMLA. All comments are due by February 2, 2007. The DOL has long been aware that employers struggle under the burdens of the … [Read more...] about Waiting for New FMLA Rules? DOL Wants Your Input by Feb. 2, 2007
Medicare Preventive Services
As part of a plan to lower costs and make sure people stay healthy, Medicare provides preventative services for beneficiaries. (Medical News Today) Services offered include a one-shot “Welcome to Medicare†exam, cardiovascular screenings to detect problems early enough for prevention and treatment, mammograms, pap tests and pelvic exams, colorectal cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, and more. For more information, visit CMS’s prevention page. … [Read more...] about Medicare Preventive Services
Bush Reverses Medicare Reimbursement Cut
President George W. Bush saved the day for physicians who receive Medicare reimbursements. Last week, he signed legislation that will reverse a 5.1 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements. Current reimbursements rates will be maintained, and physicians who report quality-of-care data will see a reimbursement increase of 1.5 percent. (Medical News Today) Last month I told you that Congress passed the bill. President Bush signed it into law and reportedly said, “This is a good piece of … [Read more...] about Bush Reverses Medicare Reimbursement Cut
