David Winker and Tania Carreno-Mederos on " The Globalization of Medicine"

The Daily Business Review today ran an article written by David Winker Carreno-Mederos on the globalization of medical services. The article focused on recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services clarifying that reimbursement would not be available for services provided outside of the United States. The article focused on reactions to this clarification in the provider community and outlined the various arguments for and against globalization in the health care industry.

Preparing for a Change in Cuba

The South Florida Business Journal today outlined efforts by many U.S. companies to prepare for the possibility of doing business in Cuba. The article discussed efforts by companies in various industries, including law firms. The article focused on ZP&W's activities in preparation for a free and open Cuba and stated that: "Miami based law firm Zumpano Patricios & Winker, P.A. has started looking at legal opportunities in Cuba," said managing partner Joseph I. Zumpano, who anticipates opportunities for real estate, immigration and corporate law. But he said the law firm won't enter Cuba until it is a true democracy, has an established rule of law and freedom of expression. "Even if the embargo were to lift, we would never assist a client to do business in Cuba.

David Winker on "Offshoring" and the Health Care Industry

Florida Medical Business published an article by David Winker on recent clarifications to Medicare policy concerning payment for medical servicesperformed outside of the United States. In the article, Mr.Winker outlined the controversy surrounding the "offshoring" of health care services and discussed the federal government's policy concerning non-payment for services performed outside of the United States. Despite pressure from certain segments of the health care industry, the federal government recently reiterated its position that Medicare reimbursement would not be available for such services. Mr. Winker cautioned Medicare providers to carefully review their arrangements with health care and other service providers that outsource outside of the United States in order to ensure compliance with this Medicare policy.