Keeping Up to Date on the Changing Health Care Environment

Health care providers, physicians, hospitals, and systems continue to negotiate today’s constantly changing health care environment and struggle with constant regulatory changes and decreases in reimbursement. Brouse McDowell’s Health Care Practice Group counsels providers through the challenges that this environment presents and advises health care clients on how to effectively protect their interests and revenues – with the goal of allowing providers to focus on patient care rather than legal and regulatory issues. The Brouse McDowell Health Care Practice Group will use this blog to share updates, thoughts, and topics of interest to health providers and practitioners.

Health system affiliation – The health care industry continues to undergo further consolidation and re-alignment. Hospitals look for new partners and affiliates as they expand into new markets and seek to find greater efficiencies. Physician practices considering hospital affiliation are looking for ways to protect their interests and maintain autonomy in their delivery of patient care. Physician practices seeking to remain independent are searching for options to strengthen their position in the market and maintain their current level of reimbursement. All of these approaches require careful weighing of options and experienced counsel. We will be sharing updates on key matters that providers should take into consideration when launching into an affiliation or evaluating an existing affiliation arrangement.

Physician practice management and succession planning – Physician practices are always looking at the implementation of new compensation models while also being careful to minimize regulatory enforcement exposure. We will be posting updates on changes in Medicare and Medicaid payments and updates on regulatory enforcement actions that may raise red flags for practices. We will also look at issues involved in practices recruiting new physicians as well as succession planning issues raised by retiring physicians.

Fraud and abuse; HIPAA – Providers have lived within the constraints of the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute laws for years but should be wary of increased government enforcement efforts. New life has also been breathed into HIPAA through marked enforcement efforts. We will update this blog with news about important cases, advisory opinions and settlements.

Payors – Audits and recoupment actions by Medicare, Medicaid, and managed care companies have been a fact of life. We will share updates on RAC audits and other reimbursement concerns.

Check back to stay up to speed on updates in health care law, and in the industry. For more information, contact us in Akron, Cleveland or our Lorain County Office.