Little Health Law Blog

Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Part 1—Overview of Reasonable Accommodation Laws

October 28, 2020 | Little Health Law

As mandatory work-from-home restrictions related to COVID-19 relax, many employees have asked to continue working remotely to protect themselves and their families. Understandably, many csm_FlatDesign-Telework_c532b56131-300x196 employers are unsure how to respond to such requests on both a practical and legal level. This two-part series addresses some legal considerations for employers and employees regarding teleworking as a way to minimize health risks posed by COVID-19 for individuals with disabilities. In Part 1, herein, we provide an overview of the reasonable accommodation laws protecting an employee with a disability.

Whether an employer is required to allow an employee to telework to accommodate a disability triggers the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Both Acts prohibit employers from discriminating against an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. 42 U.S.C. § 12112(a); 29 U.S.C. § 794(a). Discrimination includes failing to reasonably accommodate an employee with a disability. 42 U.S.C. § 12112(b)(5).

Qualified Individual with a Disability

What Are Your Options When a Negative Reference Costs You a Job?

October 12, 2020 | Little Health Law

Your reputation as a medical provider is a commodity you must protect, especially regarding your aptitude for providing patient care. Of course, you may not be a perfect fit at every medical practice. When that happens, your employment may end, and you seek other employment. No harm, no foul.

But what happens when your past employer provides a negative reference to your prospective employer? Worse still, what if the reference falsely criticizes your competence as a medical provider? And what if that false reference costs you the position? Your past employer may be guilty of engaging in improper behavior providing you a remedy at law.

Defamation

5 Tips for a Non-Physician Closing a Medical Practice in Georgia

October 8, 2020 | Little Health Law

If you are a non-physician owner of a medical practice, you may wonder what requirements govern the process of closing your small business. Our Georgia-based business and healthcare law firm assists medical practice owners with set up, a variety of business transactions, dissolutions and wind-down of the business. Medical licensing rules do not necessarily govern the non-physician owner, but there are potential obligations all owners should be aware of.

First, Retain Patient Medical Records.

Assuming the medical practice owns at least certain patient medical records, Georgia law requires the medical practice to maintain medical records for ten years from the date of creation and make those records available to patients upon request. O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2(a)(1)(A). There are exceptions to the ten-year rule. For instance, a provider who is retiring or selling his or her practice is excepted if the provider completes certain tasks, including notifying the patients of the impending retirement or sale and offering to provide each patient’s records to another provider of the patient’s choice and, if requested, the patient. O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2(a)(1)(B)(i). There are possible vendors with whom you may contract to assume this responsibility, if desired. And if the medical records are electronic medical records (“EMR”) controlled by a third-party vendor, the vendor’s contract should be carefully reviewed and followed, subject to Georgia law requirements.

Georgia Schools and Businesses Post Warning Signs to Avoid Liability Under COVID-19 Pandemic Business Safety Act

September 2, 2020 | Little Health Law

As Georgia schools and other businesses respond to open and operate safely in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic, many are posting warning signs consistent with a new law in the state passed to protect them from liability.

Georgia-based Business and Healthcare Law Firm

This summer, Georgia joined many other states in passing a law to protect businesses including healthcare facilities and workers from liability from lawsuits brought by individuals or their survivors related to infections from or exposure to COVID-19 in visiting the premises of or obtaining healthcare services or personal protective equipment from those facilities, entities or individuals. Senate Bill 359, signed by the Governor on August 5, 2020 provides that no healthcare facility or provider, entity or individual shall be liable for damages in an action involving a “COVID-19 liability claim” unless the claimant proves the actions of the healthcare facility, entity or individual resulted from gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, reckless or intentional infliction of harm.

Federal Relief for Healthcare Providers Impacted by COVID-19: The CARES Act- Attestation and Eligibility

July 6, 2020 | Little Health Law

On March 27, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion relief act to provide financial support for individuals, businesses and government organizations that experienced revenue losses from COVID-19. The purpose of the Act is to offer financial relief and to establish telehealth benefits for patients needing non-COVID-19 services. Section A of the Act authorizes programs for relief and contains information about mandatory spending provisions, while section B contains provisions regarding discretionary and emergency appropriations. Over the next few weeks, this blog will discuss recent changes to the CARES Act, and the impact that those modifications are having on hospitals and physician practices. This post provides a brief overview of the CARES Act, as well as the attestation process that providers must follow upon receiving funds.

The Provider Relief Fund

The federal government partnered with United Health Group to disburse funds to providers from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through the Provider Relief Fund (the “Fund”). This $175 billion fund provides monetary relief for hospitals and healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response in the form of grants. The grants may be used for necessary expenditures due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and other expenses related to the Coronavirus that were not already part of an approved state or government budget.

NAVIGATING THROUGH A CMS PAYMENT SUSPENSION- UPIC AUDITS

May 18, 2020 | Little Health Law

About 20% of United States tax dollars are spent on heathcare. Naturally, reducing improper payments has been a priority of CMS. Thus, all medical practice managers and healthcare providers should be aware of CMS’s process of contracting with Uniform Program Integrity Contractors (UPIC’s), private entities hired by CMS Health-Audit-300x200 to audit providers suspected of fraud. UPIC contracts combine Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPIC’s) and Medicaid Integrity Contractors (MIC’s) to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid auditing. UPIC’s focus primarily on Medicare claims, and seek to distinguish between provider billing errors or fraud.

UPIC Audit Lawyers

Our business and healthcare law firm follows legal trends in the healthcare industry. UPIC’s are private sector organizations that review Medicare claims in order to assist the government in recovering overpayments to healthcare providers. UPIC audits are often generated through data analysis or by review of consumer complaints and most often target specific healthcare providers. UPIC’s conduct screening, medical reviews, and investigations, while also implementing remedies and collaborating with state and local governments to ensure compliance with payment guidelines. UPIC’s are organized regionally, with Georgia and South Carolina falling in District 4 and managed by Safeguard Services. In recent years, home health agencies, DME companies, therapy clinics, and laboratories have been targets for fraud investigations through extensive audits.

Flattening the Curve Through Telemedicine

April 20, 2020 | Little Health Law

Telemedicine has new and profound importance due to the COVID-19 crisis. “Virtual” healthcare preserves patient protective equipment that would otherwi image_4-e1587393250939 se be used and allows physicians to manage chronic illnesses remotely, without the in-person interaction that exposes provider and patient to the risk of spread. This increased reliance on telemedicine has prompted state and federal legislative bodies to pass new rules and guidelines to promote access to telehealth services by reducing costs, increasing availability, and promoting relationships between healthcare providers and their patients. Our Georgia-based business and healthcare law firm follows regulatory developments that impact healthcare providers. As of the date of this post, seven states (Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, and Utah) have waived restrictions on telehealth. More relaxation of telehealth rules may be expected.

New Regulations: an Overview

Virtual medicine is expected to aid in slowing the spread of coronavirus by limiting contact between individuals. New telemedicine regulations encourage video and audio conversations between providers and their patients. Telemedicine platforms can serve a variety of functions, some assist with managing patient triage, while others provide alerts to providers and patients in regard to medication management. Other platforms allow for effective monitoring of chronic illnesses for patients, even with the strict social distancing guidelines that are currently in place. Thus, as part of an effort to allow healthcare providers to better support each other and their patients, the federal government has reduced the regulatory hoops that have previously limited access to Telehealth services. The CMS Fact Sheet discusses in depth the changes that have been made to provide virtual services.

THE METEORIC RISE IN IMPORTANCE OF TELEMEDICINE

April 13, 2020 | Little Health Law

As patients, naturally we intend to go to the doctor to get well. But there is a catch 22. What if the trip to the doctor or the emergency room to be made well might cause us to get sick, or more sick? Or what if we make the doctor sick, impairing his ability to care for other patients? Such risks have always existed to a degree, but nothing like today, during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Georgia-based Telemedicine Lawyers

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The extraordinary, unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and staggering fallout has cast new and very bright light on telemedicine and its potential efficacies in providing safe health care. Above all, telehealth benefits include ability to provide healthcare without no risk of COVID spread, a serious health risk for both patient and healthcare practitioner to avoid that will necessarily attend both commuting and in-person interaction. Telemedicine offers another way to “go to” the doctor and for the doctor to render care, free of the risk of virus spread. Apart from all other advantages and conveniences of telemedicine, the paramount importance of health and safety (of both healthcare practitioner and patient) have never been underscored so forcefully.

Lee Little Health Law Co-Presented with Brian Tuttle a Webinar to the American Osteopathic Association

April 10, 2020 | Little Health Law

AOA Webinar On April 6, 2020, Lee Little Health Law co-presented with Brian Tuttle, Navigating HIPPAA and Telemedicine during COVID19.

The United States Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued new COVID-19 guidance on various aspects of its jurisdiction under both HIPAA and the federal civil rights laws. Many of these changes were directly relating to telemedicine and relaxing some of the HIPAA Security and Privacy regulations. However, this DOES NOT mean we can just use any technology we want to, there are still guidelines. This in-depth 60-minute webinar discussed the do’s and don’ts relating to telemedicine during this national emergency caused by COVID19.

Business Interruption Claims in Commercial Business Policies

March 24, 2020 | Little Health Law

Hamil-Little-Business-Interruption-Insurance
Business interruption insurance is especially important for small businesses and companies that rely on physical locations to carry out day-to-day activities associated with their organizations. Our business and healthcare law firm represents medical practices and other businesses with regard to insurance coverage disputes. Filing a business interruption claim can be the best way to recover income loss and damages that occur as a result of a reduction or cessation of business operations. As the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to create disruption and financial uncertainty for business owners, insurance companies’ reluctance to cover interruption claims has initiated state responses to protect businesses from losses stemming from closures, seizure of ordinary business operations, and supply chain interruption.

Georgia-based Insurance Coverage and Business Litigation Attorneys

A March 6 article in the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. insurance companies already have rejected claims submitted for coverage of business interruption related to the Coronavirus.