Click here to view a pdf of the April 2010 Issue of Shorts.

In This Issue

The Irresponsible “Responsible Person”
Before you read this article, go and grab a copy of your facility’s admission agreement. Get a cup of coffee (or you might need something stronger for what I’m about to tell you). Then, give your admission agreement a quick review and circle every place you see the term “responsible person” or “responsible party.”

Sometimes It’s Good to Cry: Postscript to “Midnight’s Requiem”
Sometimes, it’s good to cry. Our story in last month’s Shorts about the death of my precious cat, Midnight, prompted a truly amazing response from our readers. We often get calls or emails about stories we run in Shorts, but the response to this one left me speechless.

CMS to Issue Helpful Guidance for SNFs on RACs Issue
In the August 2009 issue of Shorts, we alerted you to an issue developing in North Carolina related to the federal Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program. The problem we identified was that several SNFs in the western part of the state had received letters from a local hospital essentially saying, “oops, we just discovered in preparing for the RAC audits that patients we referred to you did not qualify for hospital inpatient Medicare benefits and thus did not qualify for subsequent SNF Medicare benefits.”

Ken's Quote of the Month
“It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”  Anonymous

Employers, Beware: Be I-9 Savvy and Avoid Violations and Penalties: A Roundtable Discussion

April 13, Noon—1:30pm
301 Fayetteville St, Suite 1900
At the Raleigh, NC office of Poyner Spruill LLP

Please join us at our next Employment Law Roundtable, where we will discuss a shift in the federal government’s focus from targeting illegal aliens to punishing the employers who employ them. Topics we will cover include the nature of Immigration Customs and Enforcement and its mandate. We will also explore the types of employers it tends to investigate and the heavy sanctions involved for violations. We’ll discuss how to be I-9 compliant and how you should prepare for and survive a Notice to Inspect, audit or raid. We will also cover potential exposure through the use of independent contractors at your place of business or at your work site.

Space is limited—please register by April 6 by sending an email to reply@poyners.com with “April 13 Roundtable” in the subject line. There is no charge for this roundtable. Lunch will be served.