The Illinois Attorney General has filed price fixing charges against the two largest physician groups in Champaign County, Illinois, charging them with boycotting Medicaid patients in order to raise prices. Carle Clinic Associates, P.C. has 300 physicians, 200 of which are in Champaign County, Illinois, representing a 60% market share. Christie Clinic, P.C. has 100 physicians, all…

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has decided  the Oklahoma Peer Review statute (Professional Review Bodies – Protection From Liability Act) does not provide blanket immunity to peer review bodies in Oklahoma. The statute is only a defense to liability if the peer review body meets all of the requirements of the Act. In Smith v. Deaconess Hospital…

KEY FACTS: PHYSICIAN QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE (PQRI)

PQRI is a precursor to Medicare pay for performance (P4P) or quality incentives established by the Tax Relief and Healthcare Act of 2006 (TRHCA). The first quality reporting period will be July 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007.

Payment Amount: Congress budgeted $1.35 billion but the payment amount per provider…

Dr. John C. Perry and his practice, Teddy Bear Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.S., sued Kadlec Medical Center (which you may recall is the hospital that obtained a negligent credentialing judgment against Lakeview Medical Center in Louisiana for failing to provide credentialing information) and several members of the medical staff alleging that his credentials at Kadlec…

PITTSBURGH, PA – The law firm Tucker Arensberg, PC is proud to announce that Michael A. Cassidy has been named to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for 2007 by Philadelphia Magazine and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Magazine. Selection for the honor is determined through the independent research of Law & Politics magazine. Over 36,000 Pennsylvania…

The California Department of Insurance and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office have arrested three doctors in what they are describing  as the largest medical fraud prosecution in the nation. Some stories are so abhorrent  they taint entire professions. In Orange County, three physicians and a group of ambulatory surgery center developers, some of whom have already…

The Internal Revenue Service issued a directive on May 11, 2007 confirming that the provision of hardware and software components of electronic health records (EHR) will not constitute private inurement jeopardizing the tax exempt status of non-profit hospitals. This directive is another step forward in facilitating hospital subsidized EHR for private practice physicians.

The Centers for…

Curtsinger v. HCA, Inc.

Dr. Curtsinger’s case illustrates one of the traps for the unwary in medical staff privileging cases. Dr. Curtsinger was summarily suspended, but was reinstated upon agreeing to a leave of absence to fulfill certain conditions for reinstatement. Upon completion of those conditions, Dr. Curtsinger requested return from his leave of absence; the hospital…

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Tucker Arensberg’s Healthcare Practice Group includes some of the most experienced health law attorneys in the region. We handle the legal problems so our clients can handle the important work of caring for patients. We work with physicians, physical therapists, dentists, optometrists, and all other professional care givers to help them avoid the many legal traps of running a practice. Tucker Arensberg lawyers have experience in all major health law issues.