Be Careful What You Say During Litigation

Michael J. Sacopulos, Esq. General Counsel, Medical Justice

A Connecticut case filed October 4, 2010, highlights the importance of not discussing a case in litigation with your colleagues. In June 2004, Pediatrician A performed a circumcision. Allegedly the circumcision was botched and took the form of a partial amputation. The child was transferred from Pediatrician A’s care to Yale-New Haven hospital for surgical repair of his penis. The malpractice claim against Pediatrician A was filed by the family in February 2005.

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Time: Your Most Valuable Resource

The most valuable asset any physician has is time. This is true in terms of both his or her personal income, and also as pertains to the ability to help the community around him. So time management is amongst the most significant ways in which one can improve one’s practice. But neither doctor nor patient wants to be short-changed in an office visit. Here are a few suggestions on ways to optimize your time:

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Malpractice Immunity for Medicaid Patients in Florida?

On the table for discussion is a legislative proposal in Florida to cap damages of negligently injured Medicaid-insured patients. That cap would be $100k. Some headlines have labeled this as “immunity” which will protect bad doctors. But, it’s not. Under the proposal, doctors treating Medicaid patients would be considered “agents of the state” for limited … Read more

Cliffhanger Congress: Senate Passes Medicare Payment Bill

This Congress may be a Lame Duck, but that didn’t stop the Senate from at least one unanimous decision. Yesterday, December 8, 2010, the Senate passed legislation to extend Medicare payments for another year. With just 3 weeks left before the massive 25% pay cut to physicians would have taken place, and since the House must still pass the same action before they break for the rest of the year, it’s fair to say they’ve cut it a bit close. Since there was unanimous consent, one wonders why this wasn’t passed long ago. Perhaps the answer lies in figuring out how to pay for it, but this seems unlikely as well.

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As a Doctor I’m Thankful for … Doctors

Doctors are also patients. If you’ve not been a patient, you will. My family and I have been patients. I am thankful for the doctors who have taken care of my family. This year, while finishing our dinner, my 13 year old son had a generalized seizure. Josh had been seizure-free for eight years. I … Read more

Senate Fails to Pass First HCR Fix

On Monday, September 29, 2010, the U.S. Senate made two attempts to repeal a relatively minor but unpopular aspect of the Healthcare Reform laws. Though both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the aspect was an unwarranted burden on businesses, they could not agree on either of two bills devised to reform the reformation. The offending aspect, which requires that those who pay out more than $600 per year to any one entity must file a 1099 form, was intended to provide an increase in revenues by increasing compliance with an existing tax law which already requires the filing of a 1099 form under the same circumstances.

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Legislators Bring 13-Month Bandaid Bill

For what seems like centuries now (hyperbole, or prophecy?) Congress has been putting patches and bandaids on Medicare payments, approving continued pay at (barely) tolerable rates, a month at a time, a few months here and there. In June of 2010, President Obama signed a bill delaying the cuts another six months. Now December 1 looms, less than one week away, and that 23% Medicare payment cut is before us yet again (with an additional 1% cut coming on January 1, 2011). So what does the House do? Propose a slightly longer bandaid.

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Cell Phones, Heath Information and Physicians

Recently the Pew Internet and American Life Project released results of a study it had conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates between August 9th and September 13th of this year. The study looked at the use of cell phones to access health or medical information. Here’s what they found: 17% of cell phone users have … Read more

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