Average professional liability claim severity has steadily increased, with severity of claims from children's and teaching hospitals remaining higher than the national average, according to the ninth annual Zurich Healthcare Risk Insights benchmark study of hospital professional liability claims.
Legal & Regulatory Issues
If the Supreme Court invalidates the legality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act tax subsidies for health insurance, legal scholars say it could be the beginning of the unravelling of the healthcare law, according to Kaiser Health News.
A case challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been heard by a three-judge panel from 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.
A proposed bill in Ohio seeks to encourage private discussions between physicians and families after a medical mishap occurs by allowing physicians to admit fault concerning medical mistakes without their words being used against them in court at a later…
Several recent federal district court opinions have called into question the healthcare industry's long-held belief that the Stark Law applies only to claims for items and services reimbursable by Medicare, not those reimbursable by Medicaid.
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Pittsburgh-based Highmark has decided not to renew its contract with health insurer Aetna for Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Pa., and Aetna is now seeking an emergency hearing on the issue, according to a Pittsburgh Business Times report.
Legal immigrants are eligible to sign up for healthcare under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act but many are running into problems doing so on Healthcare.gov, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
UPMC will not allow 689 of its physicians to participate in Highmark Medicare Advantage plans after the Pittsburgh-based insurer terminated their contracts last week, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.
With the government dedicating more resources to prosecuting violations of the False Claims Act and whistle-blowers receiving larger payouts from their cases, the future isn’t bright for hospitals and health systems, as there are forces from every angle targeting them.
A lawsuit filed by a former CFO of Plaza Health Network — a nonprofit network of rehabilitation, skilled nursing and long-term care centers based in Miami Beach, Fla. — alleges Plaza Health was involved in a $130 million False Claims…