Entries by Scott Chase

Telemedicine/Telehealth: Update on Regulatory Issues

This article was originally printed in Dallas County Medical Society’s Dallas Medical Journal, November 2019. This article will focus on updates to regulatory issues that could impact a physician’s practice of telemedicine or any other provider’s practice of telehealth. The terms ‘telemedicine’ and ‘telehealth’ are often used interchangeably, but there is a growing difference. Telemedicine […]

2019 Update on Balance Billing and Texas Health Insurance Law

This article updates the prior article, “Balance billing and Texas healthcare law.” “Balance billing” occurs when doctors, hospitals, or other health care providers who are not contracted with a patient’s health maintenance organization (HMO) or preferred provider benefit plan (PPO) bill the patient for the difference between the amount the health plan pays and the […]

The Revised AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Commercial Interactions with U.S. Health Care Professionals

Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) is a trade association for companies producing medical devices, diagnostic products, and health information systems. Relationships between AdvaMed member companies and Health Care Professionals (HCPs) are vital to the development of medical technologies, their safe and effective use, and medical research and education. However, these relationships can also create risk […]

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (“PPSA”) requires medical product manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to annually disclose to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) any payments or transfers of value made to physicians or teaching hospitals. The PPSA is designed […]

The 5 Most Important Decisions in a Physician Employment Agreement

Over the years, physician employment agreements have become very standardized. However, there are several provisions in such agreements that the to-be-employed physician must review carefully with his/her attorney.  The following is a brief summary of what I consider to be the 5 most important provisions for a physician to understand and negotiate with the employer. […]

What is the status of ObamaCare, and why should I care?

Regardless of your position on the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare (“ACA”), you should neither panic nor rejoice just yet over the actions and inactions of the United States government regarding this healthcare insurance law.  You have probably read about the various options, i.e., “repeal and replace,” “repeal and delay,” or simply “repeal” […]

Healthcare providers’ risk of data breach

By Scott Chase and Catherine Parsley Healthcare providers receive, collect, and store vast quantities of sensitive personal health information (“PHI”) from their patients. However, only half of providers responding to a recent survey said that they are prepared to respond to cyber-attacks.  Attacks and other security breaches can have far-reaching effects for providers and their […]

$150,000 Fine for HIPAA Violation

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (HHS-OCR), has recently entered into another HIPAA settlement, emphasizing yet again the government’s focus on the HIPAA Security Rule.  The settlement highlights that health care entities cannot merely adopt HIPAA policies but that they must actually implement and follow those policies in practice […]