A recent Allegheny County Court Case clearly establishes that the enforceability of restrictive covenants is not an urban myth; they are enforceable and vigorously litigated. In Allegheny Specialty Practice Network and the West Penn Allegheny Health System v. Joseph J. Colella, M.D., ASPN and WPAHS obtained a preliminary injunction prohibiting Dr. Colella
August 2009
Working Draft of MS.01.01.01 (formerly MS.1.20)
Special-needs trusts can provide for disabled children
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette recently ran an article entitled "Special-needs trusts can provide for disabled children".This Article highlights an essential planning tool for individuals with special needs and their loved ones, but also the complexity of such planning. Special needs planning requires a strong estate planning foundation in addition a working knowledge of public benefits…
Consignment Closets: CMS Issues Physician Restrictions
CMS has issued Compliance Standards for Consignment Closets and Stock and Bill Arrangements. The purpose of Change Request 6528 was to define and prohibit certain arrangements where an enrolled supplier of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) maintains inventory at a practice location which is not owned by the enrolled DMEPOS supplier, but…
How Many Lobbyists Does it Take to Fix/Ruin Healthcare Reform?
According to Bloomberg News it takes six lobbyists per lawmaker; on August 14, 2006, Bloomberg reported that $3,300 lobbyists have lined up to work on health reform. "That six lobbyists for each of the 535 members of the House and Senate, according to Senate records, and three times the number of people registered to lobby on…
Kaiser Family Foundation Publishes 50 State Health Facts
The Kaiser Foundation has recently updated its website: www.statehealthfacts.org. The site has an amazing collection of state health facts, including Medicare reimbursement rates and Medicare participation rates, which are often the subject of significant speculation. The site has been added as a link on the Med Law Blog and I recommend you peruse it.
CBO Says Preventive Care Costs More!
Surprise! Surprise! Another blow to healthcare reform. In an August 7, 2009 letter to the House Subcommittee on Health, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concludes:
"Although different types of preventive care have different effects on spending, the evidence suggests that for most preventive services, expanded utilization leads to higher, not lower, medical spending overall."
"Researchers…
Obama Sets Immigration Changes for 2010
New York Times reports Obama’s immigration timetable
“Obama Sets Immigration Changes for 2010”
Los Angels Times
“Debate heats up on healthcare for illegal immigrants”
OIG Seeks Revision of “Incident To Rules”
The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services has just released a report examining problems with incident to billing by physicians, and seeking restrictions on the use of that billing arrangement. The report, titled "Prevalence and Qualifications of Non-Physicians Who Performed Medicare Physician Services" was posed by the OIG on…
Physicians for National Health Program (“PNHP”) Endorse Single Payor Health Reform
PNHP is a group of 16,000 doctors nationwide who advocate for single payor national health insurance for the purpose of "removing the wasteful insurance company middlemen from our health system and redirecting the resultant savings into care."
For an alternative view on the progress of health care reform from a different prospective, check their website…