Contributed by Albert Lee & Katherine Koop
alee@tuckerlaw.com, kkoop@tuckerlaw.com
Graduating from medical school, joining a practice and staying until retirement rarely happens these days. (Although nationwide physician turnover rates have been on the decline, from 6.7% in 2006 to 6.1% in 2008, some estimate that 40% of newly practicing physicians leave their initial practice …
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esquire
lkim@tuckerlaw.com, 412.594.3915
The mention of the HIPAA security rules often provokes an irrational fear in people who are not so technically inclined, but there is a difference between knowing the legal compliance requirements and being an information technology specialist. Here is a simple summary of your security obligations and…
All are invited to join a White House Conference Call on Health Insurance reform today, Thursday April 1 at 5:00PM EST. Call 800-230-1951 (a phone number for the AT&T teleconference service) a few minutes prior to the scheduled time and ask the operator for the "Health Care Call." Thank you to Lynn Sweet, columnist and…
The Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") is hosting an online question and answer session open to the public at 7PM Eastern with a question and answer session.
Here is the link to the webcast:
On Tort Reform and the Health-Care Bill: Where’d We End Up?
We’ve long thought that the health-care bill teed up two fairly compelling legal issues. The first we’ve spilled many many pixels on in the last couple of days: Whether the bill (now a law) is constitutional.
The second we’ve paid a bit less…
1. The Georgia Supreme Court struck down caps or limits on non-economic damages as unconstitutional according to Georgia state law. The Georgia state constitution provides that “the right to a jury trial shall remain inviolate,” and the state law limiting a jury’s right to award damages would circumvent that right. See AtlantaOculoplastic Surgery v. Nestlehutt.…
Although the effective date of February 17, 2010 for many HITECH Act provisions has passed, Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights has announced that, through notice and comment rulemaking, it will provide specific information regarding the expected date of compliance and enforcement of the HITECH Act requirements.
Contributed by Paul Welk
pwelk@tuckerlaw.com, 412.594.5536
Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania ("OIP") and the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights recently settled a Complaint filed by a prospective patient who is deaf. The Complaint was filed after OIP declined the patient’s request for a sign language interpreter when he called to schedule…
President Obama has signed H.R. 4691, "The Temporary Extension Act of 2010", into law. H.R. 4691 re-instates the therapy cap exceptions process until March 31, 2010. Outpatient therapy service providers may now submit claims with the KX modifier, when an exception is appropriate, for services furnished on or after January 1, 2010 through March 31…
Contributed by Piyush Seth
412.594.5640, pseth@tuckerlaw.com
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