Adrienne Dresevic, Esq., of The Health Law Partners, PC, and Kathleen DeBruhl of DeBruhl Haynes, The Health Law Group, are pleased to announce the American Bar Association Health Law Section’s Physicians Legal Issues Conference on June 9-10, 2016, in Chicago, Illinois. This annual conference is attended by both attorneys and physicians and is held in […]
Please join The Health Law Partners, P.C., in congratulating Adrienne Dresevic (a Founding Shareholder), and Clinton Mikel (a Partner), for earning what has been described as the “Pulitzer Prize of Legal Writing”. The Burton Award for Distinguished Legal Writing, which is run in association with the Library of Congress and co-sponsored by the American Bar […]
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has announced that it will begin the 2016 Phase 2 HIPAA Audit Program, the next phase of audits of covered entities and their business associates. In Phase 2, OCR will review the policies and procedures adopted and employed by covered entities and their business associates to satisfy standards […]
“Physician Contracting Workshop,” presented by Robert S. Iwrey, Esq., Oakland County Medical Society, March 2, 2016, Bloomfield Hills, MI. Continue Reading →
In U.S. ex rel. Wall v. Circle C. Construction, Case #14-6150, 2016 WL 423750 (6th Cir. Feb. 4, 2016), the 6th Circuit Court held that damages in false certification cases should be based on the difference between the value of the items or services the government should have received and the value of the items […]
As many hospitals, as well as other health care providers and suppliers with pending requests for ALJ hearing are acutely aware, lengthy adjudication delays exist within the Medicare appeals process. These delays are most significant at the third level of appeal, i.e., the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) stage of appeal. On May 22, 2014, the […]
Researchers have examined Medicare claims from 2013 to see which doctors prescribed opioids (including OxyContin, morphine and codeine) and how many prescriptions they filled. Research found that these drugs are being prescribed by a broad cross-section of medical professionals, rather than concentrated among a small group of practitioners. While it is not surprising that pain […]
On December 9, 2015, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced Senate Bill 2368, the Audit & Appeal Fairness, Integrity, and Reforms in Medicare (AFIRM) Act of 2015. The purpose and goal of AFIRM is to improve the Medicare audit and appeals process by reducing the burden on […]
Seven physicians groups, including the Connecticut State Medical Society, the American Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the Medical Association of Georgia and others, have reached a settlement with insurance company Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“Anthem”) over allegations of ‘out-of network shenanigans’. The suit, which was filed in 2007, accused Anthem of unfair […]
Although there is no federal or state law barring physicians from providing health care services to themselves or their immediate family members including prescribing medication, there are limitations imposed by both applicable ethical rules and third party payor billing policies. For example, the American Medical Association (“AMA”) has Ethics Opinion 8.19 which provides, in pertinent […]
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