July, 2013

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Adverse Consequences of Settling a Malpractice Lawsuit Filed Against You-Part 1

The Health Law Firm

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law It is crucial to understand that settling a malpractice claim prior to trial, or even prior to a suit being filed, is not the end of the matter. As stressful as having a malpractice claim hanging over your head can be, it is important to know that settling it may only be the beginning of your legal problems.

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Fake Department of Health Letters Continue to Pop Up-Part 1

The Health Law Firm

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law There is an interesting phenomenon that pops up from time to time. It is the phony Department of Health letter. In 2008, we received information that letters, which appeared to be from the Maryland Department of Health (DOH), were being mailed out. The letters were mailed to residents of that state, advising the person that he or she was a carrier of a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

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Bill to Repeal Medicare SGR Physician Payment Formula Moves Forward-What This Could Mean for Physicians’ Payments

The Health Law Firm

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On July 23, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee approved a proposal to repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment formula in lieu of a system that rewards doctors for high quality care.

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California Medical Center Will Pay $275,000 to Settle Federal Patient Privacy Case

The Health Law Firm

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California, has agreed to pay $275,000 to settle a federal investigation concerning alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The settlement resolves allegations made by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) that the medical center shared a patient’s med

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3 Reasons to Retire Pagers from Healthcare Settings

Let's discuss the trusty pager—an old favorite that’s losing its shine in hospitals and clinics. While once a staple in hospitals and clinics, pagers now present significant limitations that hinder rather than facilitate communication among healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals are constantly on the move, and they need communication tools that can keep up with their fast-paced lives.

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CERT Contractors Identifying Documentation Errors for Home Health Services

The Health Law Firm

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law About a year ago we told you about one of the newest acronyms in the Medicare Program’s audit process, “CERT” which stands for the Medicare Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Program. The CERT Program is one way CMS is trying to improve the quality and accuracy of Medicare claim submissions and payments of those claims.

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Biopsy Self-referrals Draw Congressional Scrutiny

The Health Law Firm

By Lance Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm In a recently released report the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that physicians who self-referred biopsy procedures cost Medicare approximately $69 million in potentially unnecessary services. To read the entire GAO report, click here. The report concludes that claims by physicians who self-referred the pathology procedures rose at a much faster rate than those made by physicians who do not self-refer.

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What Does the Future Hold for Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program?

The Health Law Firm

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Officials with the Florida Department of Health (DOH) listened to suggestions on how to improve the security of its prescription drug monitoring database at a special meeting held on July 8, 2013, in Tallahassee, Florida.

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Florida Health Clinic Owner Arrested on Charges of $300,000 in Medicaid Fraud

The Health Law Firm

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The owner of a Lake County, Florida, medical center was arrested by the Attorney General’s (AG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) on June 27, 2013, for allegedly committing $300,000 in Medicaid fraud. According to the AG, the clinic owner allegedly billed Florida Medicaid for services never rendered and used the Medicaid provider number of a physician who was no longer employed at his facility.

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Contracting 101: Tips for Physicians and Health Professionals - Part 10

The Health Law Firm

By Christopher E. Brown, J.D., The Health Law Firm and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law This blog is the tenth in a series intended to provide a review of contracting basics for physicians, nurse practitioners and health care professionals, primarily by discussing employment agreements. We will continue to highlight many of the common provisions found in employment contracts, along with many of the mistakes and pitfalls that we see in ou

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

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Franck’s Pharmacy Files Motion to Consolidate Brilliant Blue G Eye Surgery Dye Lawsuits

The Health Law Firm

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law More on the Franck’s Pharmacy fungus cases. In the past couple of months, there have been an increasing number of people filing product liability lawsuits over Brilliant Blue G, an eye surgery dye made by Franck’s Compounding Pharmacy in Ocala, Florida.

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Products Liability Lawsuits Filed Over Brilliant Blue G Surgical Dye Made By Franck’s Compounding Lab

The Health Law Firm

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Franck’s Compounding Lab in Ocala, Florida, may be closed, but that isn’t stopping patients affected by the lab’s contaminated products from filing lawsuits against the compounding pharmacy. According to an article on About Lawsuits, at least four products liability lawsuits were filed against Franck’s just in March of 2013.

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