Our Health Care Group is large and diverse, bringing together lawyers whose broad array of skills are appropriate to serve physicians and physician groups in every area of practice.

Representative Matters:

• Assisted physician groups in forming group practices
• Advised physicians on the formation of joint ventures and prepared the requisite corporate documentation
• Represented physician interests in federal advocacy regarding Medicare and Medicaid issues
• Represented physicians and medical staffs in credentialing matters before insurance companies.
• Performed compliance audits for physicians and physician group practices
• Counseled more than 20 physician groups and other healthcare providers nationwide on implementing and improving their internal compliance programs, including compliance with the following:
  • Medicare, Medicaid, and private payor billing requirements
  • Federal and state government and accreditation standards for coding and claims submission
  • State and federal organization standards
  • State professional and technical licensing and certification standards
  • Applicable equipment certification standards
  • Laws governing referral relationships, including physician self-referral (Stark II), False Claims Act, anti-kickback laws, fee-splitting laws, and corporate practice of medicine laws
  • Laws governing clinical performance standards, including EMTALA and state organizational survey requirements
• Developed alternative strategies to address potential or actual noncompliance
• Developed policies and procedures to address compliance needs as requested
• Developed education and training systems relating to compliance as requested
• Assisted physician groups in contracts with hospitals and other health care providers
• Negotiated physician recruiting agreements
• Assisted physician groups in establishing compensation structures to reward performance while remaining in compliance with applicable law
• Advised practices on HIPAA privacy implementation, including:
  
  • Performed "gaps analysis" and policy and procedure development for physician and specialty clinics
  • Performed "business associate" analysis including development of appropriate and targeted business associate agreements
  • Developed educational tools, including Internet-based model, for staff education and training
• Defended physician practices under investigation by the federal government and private insurers for reimbursement and coding issues
• Assisted physician groups in reviewing their human resource policy and procedures
• Defended physicians in termination of employment actions
• Represented physicians in hospital medical staff investigations, fair hearings & litigation
• Advised practices on antitrust considerations involving mergers, physician networks & other health care relationships