Living Wills and Pregnant Patients: How Are They Treated?
Living wills (advance directives) help physicians navigate thorny healthcare decisions – particularly with respect to how much care is desired. And delivered. A “living will” (LST) is a legal document that outlines a person’s preferences for medical treatment in the event they become incapacitated and unable … Read more
Prescribing for Yourself, Prescribing for Your Family: A Medico-Legal Thicket
The North Carolina Medical Board just proposed a revision to its current policy on self-treatment and prescribing to family members. It does not look dramatically different from prior policy statements. The updated policy draft was posted for comments (below). Not surprisingly, our colleagues have strong … Read more
Court Rebukes HHS, Ruling it Over-Reached with HIPAA and New Edicts on Tracking Technology
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a guidance document called Online Tracking Bulletin. It then revised that document. The AHA, joined by the Texas Hospital Association, Texas Health Resources, and United Regional Health Care System, sued in November 2023 arguing that HHS … Read more
Anatomy of a Legal Demand Letter Likely Crafted by ChatGPT
Can ChatGPT craft a legal demand letter? Yes. A Medical Justice member on the west coast recently received a legal demand letter. I cannot prove it was crafted by a large language model. But it does not appear to have been written by a lawyer. … Read more
You Perform an Emergency Operation on Unsavory Surgeon’s Fresh Post-op. Are You Done?
Assume you have a mostly elective practice. You still have hospital privileges, but most work you do is performed in an outpatient surgery center. You are technically on the call schedule. You rarely get called. Most calls can be handled by having the patient see … Read more
FTC and Georgia Attorney General Prevail Against Stem Cell Clinic(s), Clinics Ordered to Pay $5.1M
Stem cells offer tremendous promise. Some clinicians have put the cart before the horse, selling the treatments after making bold claims. There’s a lot of money to be made servicing the demand. Here, the Federal Trade Commission and Georgia Attorney General said enough is enough. … Read more
To Disclose or Not to Disclose on Renewal Application. That is the Question.
Physicians regularly complete new and renewal applications for all sorts of things. Medical licenses. Hospital privileges. Employment. In-network status with insurance carriers. Professional liability coverage. The list is long. The longer you have been in practice, the more complicated the applications. The questions cast a … Read more
The Perks of Being a Physician
It’s not easy being a physician. I won’t catalogue the challenges here. As Frank Sinatra once pined in “My Way”, “Regrets, I’ve had a few.” He continued, “But then again, too few to mention.” One of the main “perks” becomes obvious when you are sick. … Read more
How (and When) to Ask Patients for Reviews
Your medical practice’s online reputation is a deciding factor for prospective patients, with reviews on platforms like Google, Healthgrades, and WebMD often providing a first impression of you as a provider and your practice. This means that accumulating enough positive reviews is critical to standing … Read more
Can Professionals Health Programs Make Unjustified Demands with Impunity?
Each year when I renew my medical license, I am asked if I want to make a voluntary donation to the state Professionals Health Program (PHP). Well, what is a PHP program? They go by different names in different states, but the concept is the … Read more
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