Legal and practical healthcare information.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently released an unpublished memorandum decision in the landmark mental parity case of Wit v. United Behavioral Health. In this decision, the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s order requiring UBH to reprocess more than 60,000 claims that had initially been denied for not meeting …
Continue reading “Updates to Wit v. United Behavioral Health”
Erica Erman and Gregory Moore discussed some of the top developments in behavioral health during Dickinson Wright’s Health Law Summit. Below is a summary of what was discussed. Click here to view the full webinar. Table of Contents Development #1: New Trends in Parity Enforcement Recent Litigation, Including Wit v. United Behavioral Health Development #2: …
Dickinson Wright Attorneys recently tackled some basic questions regarding private equity in health care during Dickinson Wright’s Health Law Summit. Below is a summary of what was discussed. Click here to view the full webinar. What is private equity? The term “private equity” is broad, referring to family offices, limited partnerships, and investment funds put …
Continue reading “Private Equity in Health Care: Answers to Industry Questions”
Many practitioners in Nevada had been operating under the assumption that the Nevada Supreme Court’s 2016 opinion in Golden Road Motor Inn, Inc. v. Islam, 132 Nev. 476, 376 P.3d 151 (2016) automatically rendered void and unsalvageable any non-competition agreement entered into prior to the enactment of NRS 613.195(5)[1] in June 2017 that contained a …
On November 20, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) finalized the rules modifying the safe harbors under the Anti-Kickback Statute and exceptions under the Stark Law. These new rules take effect as of January 19, 2021. Due to their complexity, this article will focus …
Although the current health pandemic resulted in a temporary relaxation of rules concerning remote healthcare services at both the local and federal levels, telehealth is undeniably here to stay. Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently signed into law a set of five bills that will expand coverage of telehealth services. Three of the new bills add …
Telemedicine is a relatively new concept that allows healthcare providers to treat patients via the Internet through varying technology platforms, such as FaceTime or Skype. While the practice initially started as a means for healthcare providers to treat patients in rural or remote areas who were far away from local health facilities or in areas …
Continue reading “Ohio Expands Telemedicine to Include Teledentistry”
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 …
Healthcare providers balance their time and resources between providing the best possible care to patients and keeping up with their ever-changing regulatory landscape. Providers are often at the mercy of the federal and state agencies that administer healthcare programs, which have significant discretion in interpreting statutes, promulgating rules and guidance that implement those statutes, and …
Continue reading “Want to Challenge a Government Agency Decision? Three Key Takeaways to Consider”
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”