Provider Agreements
o be a network provider, you know that health plans require you to sign written agreements that govern the relationship between the provider and the plan.
Read MoreAuthor: Adrienne Hersh, JD, ICS Legal Counsel
Informed Consent and Stroke Concern
Informed consent is an important element of modern health care. Gone are the days when the caring but the patronizing doctor made all the decisions, assuming patients didn’t need to understand much about their treatment options. By contrast, today’s health care is intended to be a provider-patient collaboration in which the doctor provides expert advice about diagnosis and treatment options, and the patient must consent to procedures after weighing the information provided.
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Your Scope of Practice
Chiropractic physicians in Illinois enjoy one of the broadest scopes of practice in the country. However, D.C.s sometimes encounter a lack of understanding or outright misinformation as to procedures they are authorized to perform especially diagnostic procedures.
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Informed Consent and Patient Non-Compliance
“Informed consent” refers to the requirement that, prior to treating a patient, the doctor must provide adequate information concerning the possible risks, benefits, and alternatives to a particular procedure. In Illinois, the requirement for consent to treatment and informed consent has arisen from both statutory (written laws) and common law (court cases).
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Financial Policy
Physician clinic owners benefit from a clear financial policy, ensuring smooth operations and patient empowerment through transparent billing guidelines.
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Self-Referral and Anti-Kickback Laws
Much has been written about “self-referrals” and “kickbacks” in health care. Stated simply, health care providers may not make referrals to entities in which they have a financial interest, and they may not pay for referrals or receive “kickbacks” (commissions) for referring patients to other providers.
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HIPAA Changes – Omnibus – September 23, 2013
You may have heard about the “Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act” and its impact on physician practices. The HITECH law is significant to physician offices because it comprehensively affects HIPAA rules on privacy, security, breach notification, and enforcement.
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Social Media and the Physician
Social media can serve as an effective tool for marketing, communication, education, and information sharing. However, unlike ordinary businesses, health care practices must comply with unique privacy and ethical rules when using these tools.
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