Virtually every physician knows that patient privacy is sacred. One needs a patient’s affirmative consent to disclose what is known as protected health information. This is covered by state and federal (HIPAA) privacy laws. If a doctor posts the medical record, that is disclosure of protected health information. If a doctor acknowledges a particular patient … Read more
In 2014, an internist pled guilty to violating anti-kickback laws for illegal referrals. She accepted monthly cash payments of $5,000 to refer patients to a New Jersey lab, Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services. Apparently a total of 30 doctors have been snagged in the roundup. Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services is now out of business. Dr. Martinho accepted a … Read more
Sometimes you need a nugget of medical information – pronto. If your patient has been in a hospital, you likely have access to reams of data. Finding your nugget may take seconds, minutes, or hours. You may never find it. A number of years ago, Dr. Kamal Thapar, a Wisconsin neurosurgeon, gave a talk on … Read more
Normally, when a patient sues a doctor, he is unhappy with the care. He wants money for damages the doctor allegedly caused. Most rational people do not continue to see the same doctor if they believe that doctor negligently harmed them As Einstein once said: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over … Read more
The jury has spoken. Stephen Blumberg owns Stephen Leigh Jewelers in Massachusetts. Toodie’s Fine Jewelry is a competitor. Allegedly, Adam Jacobs, a Toodie’s employee, wrote a multi-paragraph negative Yelp review about Stephen Leigh Jewelers. The review said he was looking for a 1.5 karat engagement ring and he had a negative experience. He then advised … Read more
First, the obvious. This is not to be construed as tax advice. Now for some interesting nuggets. When people sue one another (or even threaten litigation) and money changes hands, there are tax implications. A recent article by Robert Wood dives deeper. (A) Settlements and judgments are taxed similarly. Whether you come to a meetings … Read more
Here’s follow-up from a blog we posted in 2013. It was titled “Preventing a Lawsuit – Always Seek Consent Before Searching a Patient’s Anus”. Now we know its full title should have included “Part 1.” Two doctors were among many defendants sued by the American Civil Liberties Union. To recap this madness, see below. The … Read more
A Texas physician who performs aesthetic treatments recently agreed to disciplinary action by the Board of Medicine. In 2015, a patient underwent a series of non-invasive laser treatments with Dr. Tinuade Olugesugun-Gbadeham. Around May 27, 2015, the patient made a video testimonial on the results of these procedures. The patient gave consent to have photos … Read more
Ars Technica and the Minneapolis Star Tribune recently reported that Mayo Clinic is considering prioritizing patient care with private insurance over those with Medicare and Medicaid. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (which oversees Minnesota Medicaid), stated: “Fundamentally, it’s our expectation at DHS that Mayo Clinic will serve our enrollees in public programs on an … Read more
Jeffrey Segal, MD, JD Published in Medscape: May 20, 2015 (reprinted with permission) http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/844251 Three Highly Unusual Lawsuits If you practice medicine, odds are that eventually you will be sued, face a medical board complaint, or experience some other legal headache. If you practice in a high-risk specialty such as neurosurgery, the likelihood that you will be … Read more
