Legal

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have told Illinois legislators that the state's 'certificate of need' law is anti-competitive and stifles innovation.

Eli Lilly and Merck announced their plans to release information concerning their payments to physicians for speaking engagements and advisory services.

Simply because you are in compliance with federal debt collection laws does not mean that you are in compliance with all state laws.

I've been asked to serve on my hospital's quality-assurance committee. If I accept, should I buy more liability insurance to protect myself in case of an antitrust or defamation lawsuit?

Besides the obviously heavy toll that preventable post-surgery deaths take on patients and their families, the mistakes also have a high cost to insurers and employers.

I plan to work for a primary care practice owned by a radiologist who insists that any radiological procedures I order be referred to him and handled in-house. Would this violate Stark regulations?

I've decided not to renew my contract with a health plan that brings in lots of hassles but little income. Do I have to notify my patients who use that carrier?

My Medicare carrier has requested a copy of the chart for one of my patients. Does this mean I'm going to be audited? Should I call my attorney?

What are doctors' obligations to patients outside of normal office hours?

Lawyers consider several kinds of evidence to prove that the standard of care was--or was not--met.

The author's quest to find out what went wrong with a "routine' needle biopsy was met by a stony wall of silence.

Negligence and malpractice can injure patients, but so can juries, as this specialist discovered.

Open access or not, the physician patient relationship is still one of shared responsibility.

When he went to court as an expert witness, this doctor discovered that legal idioms abound.

Limiting awards for patients' pain and suffering is helping to lower claims payouts-and, in turn, reducing physicians' malpractice premiums-in states that have enacted tort reform, according to a recent analysis by the AMA.

What physicians should do to limit the likelihood that they'll be sued when patients complain about their care.

If you discuss medical issues and answer questions on a blog or other Internet-based forums, be sure to take these precautions.

These steps can mend our healthcare problems.

With the right advice and proper planning, you can avoid the traps associated with this extended coverage.

You'll applaud some changes, but have trouble with others.

You can limit liability risk when dealing with patients who are dependent on prescription medications.

Be prepared to defend your choice of telemedicine instead of seeing the patient in person.

You can't always prevent undesirable outcomes, but you can help create realistic expectations

The Drug Enforcement Administration won't let doctors e-prescribe controlled substances, and that's a big barrier for e-prescribing in general.

What is your liability when patients you schedule for follow-up visits fail to show up?

A huge malpractice verdict in Florida holds lessons for all doctors who use midlevel providers.

What's your responsibility to patients who come in without appointments and need urgent care, or more care than you're equipped to provide?

To protect yourself, be sure to meet your informed consent responsibilities.

You can be held accountable for residents' mistakes that occur on your watch.