Healthcare
Few industries today are as dynamic—or as complicated—as healthcare. Hospitals, institutions and other providers must meet persistent and growing demands for cost containment and improved outcomes. Physicians seek improved ways to deal with increased patient loads as health plans revolutionize their approach to coverage. Recent federal health reform legislation and implementing regulations will result in significant changes in how healthcare is delivered and reimbursed.
In this environment, an improper response to a legal requirement, or a failure to design and operate a healthcare delivery system properly, can be a critical obstacle to success.
Christian & Barton has developed a highly-sophisticated healthcare practice by representing clients in all segments of the industry. Through the years, we have served general hospitals, psychiatric and other specialty hospitals, nursing facilities, group practices, provider associations, health maintenance organizations, pharmacies, practice management companies, and individual physicians and dentists.
We serve as active advisers in creating, developing and operating integrated delivery systems, and we have assisted local providers in establishing one of the first such systems in Virginia. Our expertise includes the following areas of health law:
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and appeals
Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse prevention
managed care contracts and litigation
patient rights
treatment of minor patients
medical record confidentiality
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”)
compliance plans
managing critical incidents, and review of such incidents
negotiating with regulatory officials and national accrediting bodies
drug and alcohol treatment issues
drafting and negotiation of contracts
Anti-Kickback Act
Physician Self-Referral Act
responding to accreditation bodies such as Joint Commission
medical staff issues
negotiating hospital-physician contracts
certificate of need issues
telemedicine
Our attorneys regularly represent healthcare clients before the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and the Virginia Department of Health Professions (including the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, Optometry and Pharmacy).
Our healthcare attorneys also draw upon the experience of other attorneys for advising providers on malpractice and general liability issues, public and private financing for healthcare organizations, mergers and acquisitions, conversions from nonprofit to for‑profit status, tax issues, antitrust and employment matters.
Follow the link to read a Christian & Barton healthcare publication: