The First Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the District Court of PR improperly dismissed an EMTALA lawsuit and remanded the case for trial. The plaintiff presented to the hospital complaining of vaginal discharge and spotting in her 3rd trimester of pregnancy. The ED physician performed a pelvic exam, found that the patient was … Read more
With fewer than 90 days left before all of the HIPAA revisions begin enforcement, Health Centers should be well on their way to compliance. If you are not, here are a quick dozen things you should get started on: Do an inventory of your PHI One of the major problems many facilities have is that … Read more
Hospitals are finding it harder and harder to find ambulance services willing to transport medicaid patients in Illinois, according to a report in the Deadbeat Illinois series by Gatehouse News Service. The statewide series covers the financial woes of the state with the country’s lowest credit rating. Ambulance services in Illinois range from 22 to … Read more
A proposal is pending in Congress that would shift medical malpractice liability defense for EMTALA mandated care for ED visits and on-call care from private insurance to the federal government. The plan would have Uncle Sam shoulder the EMTALA civil liability and defense under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) for both physicians and hospitals. … Read more
If you know anything about electronic medical records as one of the major issues in healthcare right now, you know that if a case goes to court one of the most important things they are going to request is the META DATA — the story behind the medical record. Meta data about your email and … Read more
On October 20, 2009, the patient presented to the hospital and was admitted for “uncontrolled hypertension and elevation in cardiac enzymes”. He was discharged on October 23, 2009, but returned seeking emergency attention that same day. He was again discharged on the 23rd. Later that day, he was taken to another hospital where he died. … Read more
When I expressed concerns about privacy issues arising from the NSA controversy, several folks responded that there is no problem if I don’t have something to hide. We ALL have something to hide or SHOULD. The most obvious is financial information that can result in Identity Theft. Shockingly, most people do little or nothing to … Read more
On May 7, 2013, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settled its first disability and genetic information discrimination lawsuit in a district court case in Oklahoma. While the settlement specifically relates only to the company involved, employers should be aware of the potential consequences for discrimination. The EEOC has stated that it will focus … Read more
Are you ready for the worst-case scenario — an active shooter event? Most of my subscribers are telling me that they are not, and they are looking for resources, so I want to share this information that just crossed my desk. Steve Wilder, a guest speaker in several of my webinars and live seminars (and … Read more
When Google, Apple, and other major players deny cooperating with the federal government and allowing access to their computers for PRISM’s massive data surveillance program, healthcare providers and business associates should not be re-assured. Either these players are issuing denials to cover their backsides, or they are admitting that the government is able to breach … Read more