Articles

03.11.15

The Next Big Thing: Enforcing Terms of Service in an Internet of Things World

While a universally accepted definition of the Internet of Things (IoT) does not yet exist, the phrase has been coined to refer to the ability of everyday objects to connect to the Internet and to send and receive data. Thus, we are not far from living in a world where every device - from the tiny ...


02.23.15

Medicaid Managed Care: What's Ahead in 2015

Managed care is the dominant delivery model in state Medicaid programs, and is rapidly growing with the Affordable Care Act bringing over 8 million new beneficiaries into Medicaid in 2014. Today, 39 states (including the District of Columbia)1 enroll beneficiaries in comprehensive managed care ...


02.18.15

Video in 2015: Smartphone-Powered, Digital First

That smartphone in your pocket. Small form factor. Massive impact. Its tiny screen is fundamentally transforming (disrupting?) each of our lives, including how we engage with content, specifically movies and television. That means fundamental transformation of the media and entertainment business ...


02.18.15

Crude Oil Exports: A View from the 114th Congress

The 114th Congress convened January 3 with energy at the top of its agenda.  Both the House and the Senate kicked off the new session with approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. That was just the start. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the new Chairwoman of the Senate Energy Committee, ...


02.11.15

CalPERS Won the Battle, but Not the War

Much has been written and much has been said about the Chapter 9 proceeding involving the city of Stockton. In re City of Stockton, California, 12-32118-C-9 (Bankr. E.D. Cal.).In October 2014, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher M. Klein verbally announced in open court his decision to confirm the ...


02.06.15

A Lottery You Can't Lose. Sound Too Good to be True?

It's a lottery where you can't lose, but is it legal? A growing promotional trend being utilized by credit unions is the offering of prize-linked savings (PLS) products, which provide consumers with the chance to win prizes in exchange for the consumer making one or more deposits into a ...


02.05.15

Long-Term Care and the OIG Work Plan: As HHS Sharpens its Focus, Providers Should Set Their Sights ...

In the fall of 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released its 2015 Work Plan, which highlighted HHS's compliance focus areas in the upcoming year.As in past years, areas of focus cover a range of providers that are reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid and ...


01.22.15

California's New Energy Efficiency Challenge

After being sworn in to an unprecedented fourth term, California Governor Jerry Brown just recently revealed an ambitious new plan to address the impacts of climate change over the next 15 years. Among the Governor's bold climate initiatives is a plan to double the efficiency of ...


01.21.15

Major League Baseball's Odd Precedent May Doom NCAA Plaintiffs

The antitrust case brought by the City of San Jose against Major League Baseball, which was decided against San Jose on January 15, 2015, has much in common with another case pending before the same appellate court: O'Bannon v. NCAA. Major League Baseball's victory, based on U.S. Supreme Court ...


01.20.15

Governor Brown's 'Big Ideas' for Energy & Climate

Governor Brown was sworn into office earlier this month and gave his fourth inaugural address, which also doubled as his State of the State (a rare double feature). Though he touched on a variety of other proposals, the Governor kept his laser focused on climate and energy issues. He proposed three ...