Wednesday, August 27, 2014
The medical industry is undergoing major changes and the number of small physician groups joining larger hospital systems has increased in recent years. There are many benefits to merging your medical practice with a larger system but there are many things you must consider before doing so. In today’s post, we will cover four important […]
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to speak to many of you at association conventions or dealer meetings. During those presentations, I try to update you on key legal issues impacting your dealerships. Although I hope that information is helpful, I want to also make the point that some of this information must […]
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Last month the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had reached a $24.5million settlement with several Alabama-based medical practices following a lawsuit that alleged the practices violated the False Claims Act. The settlement is another example of why all medical practices and hospital systems should pay close attention to payment arrangements and transactions related to […]
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
We recently wrote about what types of third parties are considered “Business Associates” and we mentioned that, in short, a “Business Associate is any individual or company that ‘performs, or assists in the performance of’ any function or activity on behalf of a Covered Entity that involves the use or disclosure of protected health information.” […]
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
I think I can safely make the following three statements about most dealers that have been in business for the past 10, 15 or 20 years or more: The business model has changed and forced you to change priorities and learn new skills. The legal and regulatory environment in which you operate is more complicated. […]
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
In June 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the individual mandate contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare). That holding paved the way for the ACA to move forward but recent developments may cause the Supreme Court to consider a related issue: the ability of […]
Monday, August 4, 2014
The equipment dealer industry has seen significant consolidation over the last several years and the pace is not slowing as dealers and manufacturers are pursuing ever larger dealer organizations and the resulting benefits that can be achieved if growth is done in the right way. Unlike consolidation occurring within many industries, equipment dealerships often grow […]
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
A jury recently reached a $14.75 Million verdict in Florida in a case between twoclinical laboratory companies arguing over sales and marketing practices that were potential violations of various state and federal laws. The lessons that follow are important for all medical practices. Background The case began when Ameritox, Ltd. filed suit against its […]
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Entities covered under the HIPAA Privacy Rules face very high penalties for failing to properly handle protected health information (PHI) as one Indiana non-profit health care system learned to the tune of $800,000. If you handle PHI there is a good chance the privacy rules apply to you and you must ensure your staff follows […]
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Your dealership just completed a merger. You did everything by the book: took your time getting to know the other organization, set up a new organization, agreed to a fair value and established how the new ownership group would work together going forward. You will now be able to operate cohesively for years to come […]