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Corporate Transparency Act Update 3/14/24

Client Alert

For a more detailed overview on the CTA, click here.  A webinar providing further explanation can be viewed here, which was presented December 7, 2023.

On March 1, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Alabama concluded that the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) exceeded Congressional powers and enjoined the Department of the Treasury from enforcing the CTA against the plaintiffs. National Small Business United v. Yellen, No. 5:22-cv-01448 (N.D. Ala.). On March 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice appealed the district court’s decision to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a March 11, 2024 statement, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) specified that the district court’s decision enjoined enforcement of the CTA with respect to the plaintiffs of the litigation detailed above. However, aside from these named plaintiffs, FinCEN specifically provides that “reporting companies are still required to comply with the law and file beneficial ownership reports.” Thus, associated fines and penalties are still enforceable against reporting companies while this litigation continues to unfold.

The CTA, which went into effect January 1, 2024, requires certain corporate entities to report identifying information on (i) the business itself; (ii) the beneficial owners of the business; and (iii) in some cases, the professional advisor(s) that helped form the entity. Failure to file as required under the CTA carries steep civil and criminal penalties, including a fine up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, for any person who willfully (i) provides or attempts to provide false/fraudulent information or (ii) fails to report and/or update a report previously made.

For questions regarding the CTA and how your business should complete mandatory reporting, please do not hesitate to contact BMD Member Blake Gerney at brgerney@bmdllc.com or BMD Attorney Jacob Davis at jrdavis@bmdllc.com.


The Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s Latest Batch of Rules: What Providers Should Know

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy released several new rules and proposed amendments to existing rules over the past month that will significantly impact pharmacy operations. Topics range from updates to the Terminal Distributor of Dangerous Drugs license to mobile clinics to mandatory rest breaks for pharmacists of outpatient pharmacies. A summary of the proposed changes is below, along with instructions for commenting on the rules. Your BMD healthcare attorney can help write comment letters and submit the comments on your behalf as well.

Employee or Independent Contractor? New Guidance Issued by the Department of Labor

On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-awaited final rule — effective March 11, 2024 — revising its prior interpretation of worker classifications under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new final rule rescinds the standard previously established in 2021, in turn, shifting the analysis of whether a worker is an employee (versus an independent contractor) of a business from a more streamlined “economic reality” test to a more complex “totality of the circumstances” standard.

Increased Medicaid Rates to Take Effect This Month for Ohio Providers

As required by House Bill 33, Ohio’s 2024-2025 operating budget bill, reimbursement rates paid by the Ohio Department of Medicaid will increase for a wide range of providers starting on January 1, 2024.

Corporate Transparency Act Update

The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), with an effective date of January 1, 2024, is set to impose strict reporting guidelines on business owners throughout the country. The following provides a brief update on two aspects of the CTA ahead of its effectiveness next week.

The Second Wave of UnitedHealthcare's Prior Authorization Cuts Started in November

In August 2023, UnitedHealthcare released its plan to eliminate roughly one-fifth of its then-current prior authorization requirements. The first round of prior authorization cuts took effect on September 1, 2023. In that round, UnitedHealthcare eliminated the necessity for some prior authorizations for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare commercial, UnitedHealthcare Oxford and UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange plan members. The second and final round of prior authorization cuts began on November 1, 2023. The November 2023 Prior Authorization Cuts apply to the same plans as well as community plans (i.e., Medicaid managed care plans).