Legal and practical healthcare information.
Earlier this month, on March 5, 2019, the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California filed a 106-page Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in the class action Wit v. United Behavioral Health (“UBH”). Here are the highlights: Under ERISA, Plaintiffs asserted two claims against UBH based on UBH’s Level of Care …
Continue reading “Court Rules UBH Coverage Guidelines a Monumental Fixer-Upper”
When your resident first expresses a desire to leave against medical advice (“AMA”), take it seriously. Step 1: Verbal Prevention Your first line of defense to ensure your resident’s wellbeing (and consequently, to reduce your risk of liability) is prevention – attempt to understand, to the extent possible, the reason for the resident’s desire or …
It’s no secret that the United States is battling an opioid epidemic. As relevant for our Phoenix practice, in Arizona, Governor Ducey declared a State of Emergency on June 5, 2017 which led to the passing of emergency regulations, effective March 6, 2018, and the Opioid Epidemic Act of 2018, most of the provisions of …
Continue reading “Before you draft an opioid policy, read this”
In Danny P. v. Catholic Health Initiatives, 891 F.3d 1155 (9th Cir. 2018), the Ninth Circuit clarified the full extent of the “parity” required in the federal mental health parity law1 which has been in place since 2008. The Case In Danny P., the Ninth Circuit held that a particular group health plan (the Catholic …
Continue reading “Mental Health Parity Really Does Mean Equal Benefits”
-Earlier this month, on May 7, 2018, the Senate passed bipartisan S.B. 1732, entitled the “Improving Access to Behavioral Health Information Technology Act.” The bill, which is currently in the House of Representatives, aims to provide “incentive payments to behavioral health providers for the adoption and use of certified electronic health record technology…to improve the …
Continue reading “May Highlights: National Healthcare Law News”
How can providers increase quality of care while reducing cost to patients? The answer is through innovation, creativity, increased patient responsibility, partnership, and real-time flow of information. Here are just a few ideas to consider in reaching this overarching goal. While none of the ideas articulated below are novel or groundbreaking on their own, they …