Who Answers the Phone at Your Medical Office Matters—A Lot
Hell hath no fury like a dental patient scorned. One recent news flash: A woman in Lincoln County accused of slashing tires on 18 vehicles outside a dentist’s office has been arrested and charged, Lincolnton Police confirmed with Queen City News on Tuesday. Officers responded … Read more
Patients to Be Dinged by Insurance If ER Visit Not Emergent
Anthem rolled out a new policy holding patients directly responsible for the ER bill if it is later deemed non-emergent. And who will decide whether the visit was emergent or not? You guessed right. Anthem’s policy is in place in Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri. Next … Read more
Iowa Board of Medicine Makes Love an Actionable Offense.
Perhaps the headline should read “Iowa Board of Medicine Makes Making Love an Actionable Offense.” Boards of Medicine generally take action if a physician inappropriately propositions a patient for sex. Some boundary issues are obvious. If a psychiatrist is in the middle of an active treatment plan with a patient, … Read more
Dodging a Bullet. Occupational Hazards of Healthcare.
If you practice in an operating room, sooner or later you will get stuck with a needle. We all try to follow best practices. But, when you have sharp tools, on occasion, the unfortunate does happen. Last year, an ophthalmologist in Oregon relayed this tale. … Read more
Should a Doctor Change His Name? Witness Protection Lite.
Doctors occasionally change their name. They get married. They get divorced. Some keep their name. Some change their name. It happens all the time. But, that is a deliberate choice. Are there times doctors might want to change their name – against their will? Huh? … Read more
Plaintiff Receives Nine Figure Personal Injury Settlement. Oh My.
In Illinois, a jury awarded a plaintiff $148 million. The state’s previous record was a $47 million medical malpractice settlement in 2017. The defendant, the Chicago Department of Aviation, was able to negotiate the verdict down to $115M. Whew. The plaintiff accepted to avoid the … Read more
Informed Consent? Sure. We’ve Got All the Time in the World…
It’s a long standing medico-legal principle that before a patient undergoes a non-emergent procedure, he must understand the risks, benefits, and options, and provide consent. This is informed consent. It’s also a long standing medico-legal principle that informed consent is more than a signature on … Read more
Professional Negligence Versus Ordinary Negligence in a Medical Office
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to … Read more
Urgent Client Alert: Yelp Forced to Disclose Identities of People Alleged as Posting Fake Reviews
The litany of complaints doctors have compiled against Yelp is long. Frustration is based on (a) filtering of reviews – many of which are positive; (b) the perception (right or wrong) that refusal to purchase advertising on Yelp leads to score manipulation; and (c) Yelp … Read more
A Tale of Woe. A Bad Asset Protection Plan.
Doctors are at risk for being sued. They are targets for litigation. Sure, insurance provides a defense. But, it doesn’t take much imagination to see how a judgment can exceed policy limits. And the risks go beyond professional liability. How about a car accident? Slip … Read more
Large Insurance Carrier Outs Patients With HIV
By now, doctors have been trained to think about the ramifications of patient privacy before taking action. We make sure that first name and last initial are on the operating room scheduling board. On hospital room doors – same thing. We ask for authorization before … Read more
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