Little Health Law Blog

Electronic Health Record-Related Malpractice Claims Tripled in Ten Years

September 17, 2019 | Little Health Law

device-digital-pen-6336-e1540845862509 A sign of the times in the evolution of modern healthcare practice is the prevalence of the electronic health record (EHR). In the past fifty years, technological advances and payer incentives have resulted in a sea of change in healthcare documentation, causing healthcare providers to shift from the historic practice of using paper records to using electronic health records. Healthcare providers navigating the transition from paper to electronic records have encountered many challenges in learning and mastering the efficient and accurate use of EHRs. One challenge with significant and potentially life-or-death consequences to patient health is ensuring that EHRs contain accurate information.

Georgia Business and Healthcare Law Firm

According to a recent report from Becker’s Healthcare, EHR-related medical malpractice claims have tripled since 2010. Although EHR-related deficiencies are not typically the main reason for medical malpractice claims, they are a significant factor identified as contributing to medical injuries in a growing number of cases. The Becker’s article cites a study by Doctor Company, which indicated that on average in 2010, only seven medical malpractice cases assessed identified EHR errors as a contributing cause to claims; that number rose to an average of 22.5 cases per year in 2017 and 2018.

When A Doctor Needs a Lawyer: Fraud Investigations – Avoid Becoming the Next Headline

September 3, 2019 | Little Health Law

1066058_patrol_hat_too1 Healthcare fraud attributable to nurses, hospitals, pharmacists, equipment providers and doctors, contributes to the high cost of medical care. For this and other reasons, fraud continues to be a hot topic in the healthcare industry. Recently, there have been numerous headlines regarding Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance company investigations of providers for improper billing practices. Accusations stem from both whistleblowers and audits, making it difficult for providers to hide behind fraudulent billing practices. With numerous investigations in the spotlight in recent months, providers should be alert and act to ensure that they are compliant with the law.

August 15, 2019, Kevin Little is included in the 26th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© for his work in the practice area of Healthcare Law, for 2019

August 15, 2019 | Little Health Law

The Best Lawyers in America^© recently recognized Kevin Little of our firm by including him in its 26^th Edition for his work in the practice area of Healthcare Law, for 2019. This distinction ranks Mr. Little among the top 5 percent of private practice attorneys nationwide, as determined purely by attorney peer review. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers has been regarded – both by the legal profession and the public – as the most credible measure of legal integrity and distinction in the United States. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a rigorous peer-review survey comprising evaluations by top attorneys.

August 1, 2019, Kevin Little is accepted as a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel

August 1, 2019 | Little Health Law

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) recently accepted Kevin Little of our law firm for membership in the IADC. The IADC is comprised of leading corporate attorneys and insurance executives throughout the world. Its members are distinguished partners in large and small law firms, senior counsel in corporate and insurance law departments, and insurance executives. Mr. Little was nominated by Peter J. Pizzi of Newark, New Jersey and sponsored by William J. Kelly III of Denver, Colorado and Elizabeth Haecker Ryan of New Orleans, Louisiana. IADC’s standards for membership are very exacting.

When a Doctor Needs a Lawyer: Non-Compete Agreements and Restrictive Covenants

July 29, 2019 | Little Health Law

to-sign-a-contract-2-1221951-m Consulting legal counsel to review a physician’s employment agreement before a dispute arises may increase a doctor’s negotiating power and help obtain better working conditions. Employment agreements contain many provisions, which may include: compensation arrangements, arbitration clauses, terms defining the scope of liability insurance, and non-compete agreements. As physicians in the workplace are tending to move away from working in solo practices, we are finding that hospital, health system and other corporate employment agreements containing non-compete clauses are becoming more prevalent.

The American Medical Association advises against physicians entering into restrictive non-compete agreements, saying that they “can disrupt continuity of care, and may limit access to care.”. While the AMA advises physicians to be cautious about unreasonable restrictions and those that limit patient choice of providers, generally speaking, non-compete agreements have been upheld and determined enforceable in courts. Courts can limit the enforcement of these agreements, however, if they deem the provisions unreasonable or too restrictive. Courts have varied in what they define as unreasonable or overly restrictive, in terms of duration and geographic radius.

July 25, 2019, Lee Little speaks to the Medical Group Management Association of the CSRA

July 25, 2019 | Little Health Law

Little Health Law is a proud affiliate of the CSRA Medical Group Management Association. Lee Little was honored to present as July’s featured speaker on Healthy Medical Practice Management: Legal, Risk and Compliance Considerations. Ms. Little shared considerations for medical practice managers in meeting current challenges in the healthcare business and regulatory environment, to support their important work and continued focus in providing excellent patient care.

Opioids: Physician Liability

June 14, 2019 | Little Health Law

1238683_untitled As the opioid epidemic continues to cause death and create economic hardships within the nation, criminal prosecutors and law enforcement agents have increased their focus on prosecuting and pursuing severe penalties against doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other healthcare providers as a deterrent for providers who would prescribe opioids in excess. For example, earlier this month, a doctor in Kansas was sentenced to life in prison after distributing prescription drugs that caused the death of his patient. Steven Henson, a physician based in Wichita, was convicted of numerous criminal charges after prescribing opioids in amounts that could lead to addiction and economic hardship, after his patient died from overdose. According to the Department of Justice, Henson prescribed maximum-strength opioids in dangerous quantities. Evidence showed that he wrote prescriptions for patients without a medical need and without providing a medical exam. He also post-dated prescriptions and prescribed them in return for cash.

Henson’s case is not unique. In December 2018, physician Phillip Dean of Missouri was sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $312,377 to Medicare and Medicaid after illegally distributing opioid medications. In Massachusetts, Dr. Richard Miron was charged with involuntary manslaughter, after being found responsible for the death of a patient in 2016.

When a Doctor Needs a Lawyer – Patient Referrals for Imaging: Staying Compliant with the Law

June 4, 2019 | Little Health Law

medical-doctor-1314903-m Legislation controlling self-referrals has created a complex road map that can leave doctors with questions regarding their ability to use business agreements to promote lab work and advanced imaging technology for their patients. For physicians, the rules and regulations of self-referrals for imaging can create headaches and lead to fines.

Georgia Physician Self-Referral and Fraud and Abuse Lawyers

Physician self-referrals may create conflicts of interest and can potentially result in violations of federal or state law. Previously, providers only had to worry about referrals for patients with federal insurance plans. However, the new legislative trend is expanding their liability. Physicians recently have been prosecuted for kickbacks involving patients with commercial insurance plans as well. If a physician’s referral is determined to be guided by profit and not the patient’s best interest, that referral could be violating the law.

Four Pain Management Clinics Under Investigation for Fraud Closed Abruptly

May 14, 2019 | Little Health Law

balance-1172800-1-300x204 This month, the abrupt closing of four Tennessee pain management clinics under investigation for state and federal health insurance fraud made headlines. Those clinics, formerly affiliated with PainMD and rebranded as Rinova, closed last week. Federal authorities alleged that PainMD and its parent company inflated profits by providing patients with unnecessary injections to be paid by federal health insurance programs. Authorities of the state of Tennessee initiated their own investigation, with concerns that the conduct of clinic personnel may violate state law.

Georgia Pain Management and DEA Defense Law Firm

In the PainMD pain clinic investigations, not only were the companies and clinic administrators at risk for financial penalties and reputational harm in connection with potential fraud, but so were the health providers who worked at those clinics. Three PainMD nurses were indicted on federal charges in connection with procedures provided at the Tennessee clinics under investigation.

The Enforceability of Arbitration Agreements

March 14, 2019 | Little Health Law

The Trend: Mandatory Arbitration

As a physician employee, you might be aware of the “arbitration agreement” that you signed with your employer upon your hiring. In the employment context, an arbitration agreement may in the view of your employer be a more efficient way to privately resolve legal disputes associated with your employment than litigation is. Therefore, many physician employers will include in their proposed employment agreement a mandatory arbitration provision. Arbitration agreements are facing backlash however, as critics claim that employers insisting on mandatory arbitration do not have incentives to obey labor laws.

Georgia Physician Employment Lawyers

Critics of arbitration agreements state that these provisions are a way for employers to compel an employee into waiving valuable legal rights, including the right to a jury trial. Mandatory arbitration provisions are often discussed and scrutinized by courts and legislators. Some arbitration clauses have been held unenforceable by courts. In Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, for example, the arbitration clause at issue barred employees from suing their employers. In that case, the Court enforced the company’s mandatory arbitration clause, favoring corporations and employers, after employees banded together to sue their employers for damages because they were underpaid. Since the ruling, more questions have arisen regarding the enforceability of mandatory arbitration agreements. More cases have come forth of employees having disputes that fall under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Now, since the Epic Systems ruling, it is more difficult for employees to contest mandatory arbitration provisions that (in the view of some legal experts) might make it harder to bring certain types of legal claims against an employer.