Health Care Industry | The Health Law Firm Blog

New Professional Liability Insurance Benefits for Health Professionals

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

I have been pleasantly surprised recently to discover that several professional liability insurance companies have raised their coverage amounts and added coverage in areas sorely needed by health professionals. I’m referring to coverage for incidents not necessarily related to malpractice or professional liability.

I do note that Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) Insurance has increased its basic policy limits from a cap of $3,000,000 in the aggregate per year to $5,000,000 aggregate per year for counselors on professional liability coverage.

However, we have always maintained that the most important coverage for […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:44-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, Insurance, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Is It Legal to Make Flu Shots Mandatory for Health Care Professionals?

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The warnings have been loud and clear from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This influenza season is off to an early and serious start. With that in mind, a number of states are requiring all health professionals in the state to receive the flu vaccination. Some of those opposed to getting vaccinated are being fired by hospitals and health facilities. Because of this, a controversy is arising between employee rights and patient safety, according to a number of news sources.

Click here to read more on […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:44-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, In the News, Nurses, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Ohio Hospital Settles Whistleblower Case to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., Attorney, The Health Law Firm

A group of doctors accused of performing an unusually high number of heart procedures on patients at an Ohio hospital has settled a whistleblower lawsuit, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The settlement agreement covers accusations that the doctors and the hospital billed Medicare for unnecessary cardiac procedures from 2001 to 2006.

Click here to read the press release from the DOJ.

The Ohio hospital agreed to pay the U.S. government $3.9 million, and the physician group agreed to pay $541,870 to settle the accusations.

Former Hospital Manager Speaks Up.

In October […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:43-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the News, The Health Law Firm Blog, Whistleblower|

How Safe Is Your Hospital?

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

It’s been a long time since most of us have seen a report card, but hospitals all over the nation received their safety grades on November 28, 2012. Leapfrog, a national group that advocates for safer health care, determined the grades. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Florida hospitals ranked well. Overall, 39 percent (39%) of the 156 hospitals graded received A’s, earning the Sunshine State a tenth place ranking in the nation.

Click here to read the entire article from the Orlando Sentinel.

How Florida Hospitals […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:42-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Doctors’ Medicare Payment Data to be Released Spring 2014

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

For years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has kept private its records on Medicare claims payments made to individual physicians. However, beginning March 18, 2014, the government may disclose the payment data on a case-by-case basis. According to CMS, this directive is a push by the Obama Administration to crack down on doctors who are making a habit out of repeatedly overcharging Medicare. On January 15, 2014, CMS stated that recalcitrant providers could face civil fines and exclusion from Medicare and other federal health care programs. According to CMS, a recalcitrant […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:54-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, Medicare, The Health Law Firm Blog|

New MCAT Will Put the Social Skills of Potential Doctors to the Test

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The 8,200 aspiring doctors expected to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) this year will be seeing a different exam than their predecessors.

The doctor-patient dynamic is changing. So, to stay on top of this shift in the health care industry, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) announced in April 2015, the first major revision to the MCAT in 25 years. This test is the first high-stake exam encountered by physicians. The big difference physician hopefuls will notice is that the new test assesses social aptitude and not just hard science.

The New MCAT.

There […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:59-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, In the News, Medical Students, The Health Law Firm Blog|

The Ins and Outs of Florida’s 2015 Legislative Session for Health Care Providers

George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in the Legal Specialty of Health Law

Committees are busy in Tallahassee as the 2015 Legislative Session is set to begin on March 3, 2015. For Florida physicians and other health care providers, now is the time to review the legislative bills that could affect you and your practice. There are many bills pending that could impact the future of medical practice and health care delivery in Florida.

On the table are some recognizable bills from last year, as well as a few new ones. To stay up to date on the 2015 Legislative Session as it relates to […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:59-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, In the News, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Open for Registration: Telemedicine Association Begins Telemedicine Accreditation

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) recently announced that it was accepting a limited number of applications for its telemedicine provider accreditation program. According to the ATA the purpose of the accreditation is to recognize organizations that provide top-notch online health care services. The ATA calls the service its “Accreditation Program for Online Patient Consultations.”

Details on ATA’s Accreditation Program.

Eligibility to register and apply for accreditation is aimed at any United States based organization that provides real-time interactive doctor-patient interactions via live online video services. Currently the ATA is not certifying so-called “store-and-forward” providers. However, this may be a possibility in the future […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:59-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Physician Argues Definition of “Peer” at Formal Administrative Hearing

FACTS: The Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA”) is responsible for administering Florida’s Medicaid program and conducting investigations and audits of paid claims to ascertain if Medicaid providers have been overpaid. With regard to investigations of physicians, section 409.9131, Florida Statutes, provides that AHCA must have a “peer” evaluate Medicaid claims before the initiation of formal proceedings by AHCA to recover overpayments. Section 409.9131(2)(c) defines a “peer” as “a Florida licensed physician who is, to the maximum extent possible, of the same specialty or subspecialty, licensed under the same chapter, and in active practice.” Section “109.9131(2)(a) deems a physician to be in “active practice” if he or she has “regularly provided […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:58-04:00June 1, 2018|Administrative law, Agency for Health Care Administration, Appeal, Health Care Industry, Medicaid, Medicaid audit, Medicaid Fraud, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Cyber Attack at Community Health Systems Affects 4.5 Million Patients-Could This be a New Trend?

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On August 18, 2014, Community Health Systems, a Tennessee-based hospital chain that has 206 hospitals in 29 states, announced that its computer system was hacked. According to a number of news reports, an outside group of hackers, originating in China, used highly sophisticated malware and technology to steal 4.5 million patients’ non-medical data. The hackers were able to obtain patients’ names, Social Security numbers, addresses, birth dates, and telephone numbers.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, in Florida, St. Cloud Surgical Associates, St. Cloud Medical Group, and Urology Associates of St. Cloud were among the […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:58-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, HIPAA, Hitech Act, In the News, The Health Law Firm Blog|