Nationwide there is much consternation and debate about what sort of “healthcare reform” might cure our health care system’s many ills, its growing price tag in particular. Of course, there is no shortage of answers and opinions about possible solutions or improvements. To be sure, the issue is highly complex,…
Little Health Law Blog
July 1, 2013. Medical Association of Georgia presents for its 7,000 member physicians Guidelines for Physician Review of Health Plan Contracts, prepared by Kevin S. Little.
Medical Association of Georgia presents for its 7,000 member physicians Guidelines for Physician Review of Health Plan Contracts, prepared by Kevin S. Little.
The EHR Improvements Act: a Bill to Exempt Solo and Retirement-Age Physicians From Meaningful Use Medicare Penalty
The “EHR Improvements Act,” a bill (HR 1309) recently introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), would, if passed, mean that doctors close to retirement age might not incur Medicare payment cuts as a result of failing to implement an electronic health record (EHRs) system. Additionally, the bill would make solo…
Medicare Trust Fund Is Still Running Out of Money — Just Not as Soon As Previously Thought
On May 31, 2013, the Boards of Trustees of The Federal Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medicare Insurance Trust Funds (Boards of Trustees) issued the most recent report (the “Report”) on the financial condition of the U.S. Medicare Program. The Board of Trustees oversees the financial operations of the Medicare Part…
A Viable Solution For Doctors and Patients to the Third-Party Payer Mess: Concierge Medicine
The concierge practice of medicine is the wave of the future. This is very good news for the American consumer and tax payer. As the price tag for Medicare has increased, so has the pressure on federal lawmakers to do something to avoid the looming fiscal disaster that attends rising…
Money-Making Tip for Physicians: Develop/Utilize Good Contracting Protocol With Health Plans
Some health plans would have doctors believe that all terms and conditions in health plan contracts are immutable. That is not true. Health plan contract language can and should be negotiated under some circumstances. All physicians are strongly cautioned against blindly signing health plan contracts or any “paper work” that…
Physicians Brace: the Changing Insurance Landscape Under Georgia’s ACA Insurance Exchange
In Georgia, seven insurers have announced plans to participate in the Health Insurance Exchange that will exist by virtue of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA authorized creation of State health insurance “exchanges” (HIX) – an online market place in which consumers can shop for and buy health insurance.…
The Plea for Repeal of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate
The American Medical Association (AMA) and numerous other medical associations, including the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG), are a strong voice for repealing the Medical Sustainable Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). Led by the AMA, a very large group of influential medical associations wrote Congress late last year advocating that the…
THE CLOCK IS TICKING: Less Than Six Months to Comply with New HIPAA Requirements for Business Associate Agreements
As a general rule of thumb for legal issues, being proactive tends to be much less expensive than being reactive. This general rule certainly applies to health care providers, their business associates and, now, business associate subcontractors with respect to changes required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act…
THE TIME IS NOW: MANY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND HEALTH CARE BUSINESSES MUST PROMPTLY REVISE BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENTS TO COMPLY WITH HIPAA
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the HIPAA final omnibus rule (Final Rule) on January 25, 2013. The Final Rule deals with required changes for medical practices and other health care providers that HHS determined are necessary to secure protected health information (PHI). As a result…