Can you prescribe for family? What happens if a payer demands a refund three years later? Our Legal Blogs tackle routine yet critical issues—self-prescribing, contract renewals, sham peer review defenses, and medical record ownership—using real complaints, board orders, and court opinions as teaching tools.
When an appellate court clarifies peer-review immunity or a state supreme court limits punitive damages, we translate the opinion into practical next steps: adjust bylaws language, revisit informed-consent language, or refine incident-reporting practices. Posts avoid dense legalese and focus on how rulings might influence documentation, credentialing, and professional liability.
From negotiating call-coverage stipends to spotting restrictive non-compete clauses, articles guide physicians through employment and partnership contracts. We also examine corporate-practice-of-medicine rules, covering management-service agreements, fee-splitting prohibitions, and telemedicine ownership structures.
The blog discusses board investigations stemming from social-media missteps, substance-use allegations, and documentation irregularities. We help physicians respond promptly, assemble supportive records, and protect due-process rights.
Expect discussions of Stark, Anti-Kickback Statute safe harbors, Medicare enrollment revocations, and false-claims liability—presented with examples relevant to office-based specialists and hospital-employed physicians alike.
If your medical license is subject to discipline in one state, reciprocal discipline can be meted out in other states in which you hold a license. New York is no exception. No surprise there. If one state slaps you on the wrist, NY can do likewise, assuming the underlying offense would be sanctionable in NY. … Read more
It’s not uncommon for a physician to be employed by a healthcare system. If he or she is sued, many parties will likely also be sued. Including the hospital employer. The hospital might be sued for indirect liability, such as negligent credentialing or negligent hiring. Or it may be sued for direct liability, for example, … Read more
A Medical Justice member recently asked a simple question with a complicated answer: “If CMS pulls my billing, am I ‘excluded’? And is that the same as the Medicare preclusion list?” Close cousins, not identical twins. Here’s the field guide I wish more practices kept on the bulletin board. Quick Definitions in Plain English OIG … Read more
A medical group sends over a “standard” agreement. Buried mid-paragraph is one sentence that could turn a routine credentialing hiccup into a personal bankruptcy event. I’m talking about indemnification language. Harmless at first glance. Radioactive in practice. What is indemnification? Indemnification is a contractual obligation where one party (the indemnitor) agrees to compensate the other … Read more
Physicians are territorial with honorifics. A patient hears “Dr. Smith” and silently fills in the rest—medical school, residency, board certification. That assumption sits at the center of a fresh federal ruling in California. On September 19, 2025, a federal judge in the Central District of California upheld the state’s long-standing restriction on using “doctor”/“Dr.” in … Read more
The Guardian reported on a British healthcare provider who left an operation to quickly have sex. The newspaper named the randy provider as Dr. Suhail Anjum, a “consultant anesthetist.” Dr. Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were caught in a “compromising position” by a colleague who walked in on the pair at Tameside hospital. … Read more
Dr. David Diffine, an Arkansas family physician, was also known as “Dr. Naturist.” In January 2024, the Arkansas State Medical Board received a complaint regarding his “naturist activities”—namely, photo posts of himself nude on social media. The board took no immediate action, choosing instead to preserve the documentation on file. 2025 – License Revocation What … Read more
Not all relationships are meant to last forever. If you terminate a doctor-patient relationship, you shouldn’t do so in the middle of a treatment plan. And generally, you are required to continue care for 30 days or until the patient finds another provider, whichever comes first. And you should make records available to the new doctor. And provide general information on how to find a new doctor … Read more
Non-compete agreements work for the employer. They don’t really make the employee’s life easier. I understand the rationale. The employer invests heavily in a new recruit. This individual will be a loss-leader for a while. The employer built the practice. The employer believes he built the employee’s practice. And showed the employee all the tricks needed to be successful. It would be maddening for this employee to leave after 9 … Read more
A Board complaint can evolve into an investigation. An investigation can evolve into charges being filed. Once filed, your license is at risk. The Medical Board may offer an agreement in lieu of a hearing. The agreement would stipulate terms and conditions. The ostensible carrot is that you’d be bargaining for a certain outcome with terms you can live with. On the other hand, you’d be … Read more
