We live in a world of deadlines. When I was growing up, I learned the maxim, “Failure to properly plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Sound familiar? The excuse “the dog ate my homework” did not work in my childhood home. If you practice medicine (or any licensed profession … Read more
Stem cells are promising. They may impact so many conditions down the road. Some clinics have a head start. They’ve been making claims that the future is here. Now. One major unknown was what authority the FDA has, if any, for regulating treated and spun-down fat for re-implantation. In California, a lower-level federal court ruled … Read more
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, take note that there are very effective medications used to treat obesity and type II diabetes. They include products with glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) activity. The two dominant players in the industry are Novo Nordisk and Lilly. Novo Nordisk distributes semaglutide: Ozempic for Type … Read more
Many physicians are asked to serve as Medical Directors. Seems like easy money. What do Medical Directors do? Two things, actually. They act as administrators overseeing various operational issues – such as credentialing and privileging. And they serve as supervisors, assuming co-responsibility for mid-level providers. Every state addresses physician relationships with physician assistants (PAs) and … Read more
Physicians take all sorts of photographs. Some are part and parcel of a surgeon’s practice. Before and after photos of cosmetic surgery. For example. No surprises there. Patients of Lehigh Valley Health Network were surprised that hackers obtained photos of their naked bodies while undergoing radiation treatment. Hackers breached the network. A Lehigh Valley Health … Read more
Generally, a patient needs to sign a HIPAA authorization form to disclose their protected health information. Unless there’s an exception. Such as addressing Treatment, Payment, or Operations (“TPO”). No written authorization is needed for such exceptions – for example, to disclose limited protected health information to resolve a financial dispute (say, a credit card chargeback … Read more
The Department of Justice periodically sends out memos identifying wins in its fight against healthcare fraud and abuse. I’ll quote the DOJ verbatim. Charges were filed in the District of Arizona against four individuals who allegedly filed $900 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for amniotic wound grafts used on Medicare patients. As … Read more
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 to calls regarding the incident Monday morning, July 29, outside … Read more
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is a federal repository of information detailing specific actions against healthcare providers. It includes settlements and judgments paid by an insurance carrier in your name (you being the defendant). It includes disciplinary actions by state licensing boards, including public letters of reprimand, probation, suspension, and revocations. It includes adverse … Read more
Starting a medical practice comes with a host of considerations related to mitigating risks that must be carefully navigated for a compliant, secure, and successful operation. Contrary to popular belief, securing medical malpractice insurance covers only a fraction of the risks you may face. We strongly recommend that physicians take a few extra steps to … Read more
