Portland, OR, USA - Jan 19, 2022: Emojis sorted by usage frequency are seen in the iMessage app on an iPhone.

Emoji Laws in Health Care ❤️⚖️

By Bobby Stroup

2023 is the year of the emoji lawsuit.  This year a “thumbs-up” 👍 emoji was found to be part of a legally binding contract. In another legal case, a “moon” 🌝 emoji was found to be possible evidence of securities fraud. This legal evolution may seem a bit strange. We are more accustomed to emojis being the characters in a “cinematic masterpiece” or the subject of corporate public relations. However, times are changing, and these symbols now have financial and legal implications in a wide variety of industries. Health care is no exception.

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Doctors hold blood sample wearing ppe suit and face mask in hospital.

New Stark Law Waiver Opens Opportunity for Creative Physician Compensation and Benefits

By Carmel Shachar

On March 30, 2020 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a partial waiver of some key elements of the Stark Law, a health care fraud and abuse law. The purpose of this waiver is to relax some of the fraud and abuse requirements around physician compensation during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow hospitals and physician groups to think creatively about meeting the needs of an overworked and stressed workforce. It also provides us an opportunity to consider the post-pandemic future of the Stark Law, long thought to be an impediment to innovative payment and delivery models.

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