Health Care Fraud Enforcement
August 02, 2015
In March 2015, the DOJ and HHS)released their annual joint report to Congress on the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC) detailing monetary recoveries, return on investment and enforcement actions for fiscal year (FY) 2014, which ended on Sept. 30, 2014. This article discusses that report.
Navigating Insurance Coverage Issues in Med Mal Litigation
August 02, 2015
For a physician or other health care defendant, being sued for medical malpractice is stressful. The saving grace for many is the financial safety net of liability insurance to cushion the blow and avoid monetary ruin for a physician or hospital. However, every net ' including a safety net ' has holes.
Policies and Procedures As a Basis for Liability
August 02, 2015
In last month's newsletter, we discussed the fact that, in some jurisdictions, evidence that medical facility policies and/or procedures were not followed may be introduced to show that its medical practitioners did not meet the standard of care. The discussion concludes herein.
Verdicts
July 28, 2015
Analysis of recent litigation.
Health Care Policies and Procedures As a Basis for Liability
July 02, 2015
Well-crafted policies and procedures are an essential part of the operation of modern health-care facilities. However, in the event of a bad outcome, policies and procedures become evidence in litigation, and "violations" frequently become the central focus of malpractice claims.
Physician-Assisted Suicide
July 02, 2015
On Feb. 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a landmark ruling, overturning precedent only two decades after it held that Canadian citizens have the right to end their lives, but if done with the assistance of a physician, that physician could be held liable. This highly anticipated decision is expected to encourage the efforts of right-to-die advocates in the United States and abroad.
Drug & Device News
July 02, 2015
A manufacturer goes to court to challenge the FDA's restrictions on off-label drug use promotion.
In New York: A Recent Decision On Continuous Treatment
July 02, 2015
The statute of limitations applicable to medical malpractice cases in New York is one of the most unjust in the country. It can, and too often does, expire before victims have even the ability to know that they have been injured. That is because, other than foreign objects left in a patient's body, New York does not have a rule that the statute begins to run at the time the patient discovers, or reasonably should discover, that he or she suffered injury as a result of malpractice. Almost all other jurisdictions have such a rule, and its absence in New York has had harsh consequences for countless malpractice victims. Efforts to pass legislation to end this injustice have repeatedly come up short.
Med Mal News
July 02, 2015
In-depth discussion of a case in which a court must decide if a particular med mal policy will survive a doctor's fraud.
