Regulatory Compliance. Our health care lawyers have developed expertise in the federal laws and regulations pertaining to health care providers and their operations. This includes all facets of the Medicare program, the federal aspects of Medicaid participation, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement appeals, conduct of appeals before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB), fraud and abuse, antitrust, corporate compliance, anti-kickback, and Stark I and II regulations.
We routinely advise clients on the state of their compliance relating to professional conduct, professional or institutional licensure, accreditation, and other matters. Our lawyers also regularly track proposed regulatory changes that affect the health care industry, and actively pursue an ongoing dialogue with governmental regulators.
In addition, we can assist in regulatory matters relating to medical records and patient confidentiality, including those involving the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which has spawned numerous regulations intended to assure the privacy of individually identifiable health information. We have extensively lectured on the HIPAA privacy and security rules throughout New York State both before professional organizations and for individual clients and client groups. Our lawyers are knowledgeable in all aspects of HIPAA, and presently provide advice and assistance to more than 40 clients in the development of HIPAA compliance programs.
Medical Staff Issues. Matters relating to human resources are a universal concern across every industry type, and the attorneys in our Labor & Employment Group have extensive experience assisting in a wide array of legal concerns in this area. Our attorneys can also help in handling the issues unique to health care, including credentialing, privileging, peer review, privilege termination, and staff bylaws. Our Immigration Group can help employers attract and retain talented employees from outside the U.S.
Business Issues. We are experienced and skillful in providing all aspects of business law and transactional services, including provider agreement review, analysis and negotiations; business tax planning; mergers, affiliations, joint ventures and divestitures; enforcement action response; policy and procedure development; assistance regarding the Certificate of Need process; patient accounts management and collection; and structuring a waste disposal system.
We have significant experience in dealing with health insurance companies as a result of our representation of large provider groups who have moved to self-funded or limited-risk insurance plans. Our experience handling managed care contracting issues is well known, including matters relating to the shift in economic risk and intrusions of the physician/patient relationship.
We provide all forms of real estate assistance related to the entire spectrum of services, from medical office complexes development to sophisticated commercial lease transactions.
Patient Issues. We address concerns related to treatment decisions, professional ethics, confidentiality, medical records, and other matters directly related to patient care.
Litigation. Disputes of many kinds can arise in the business world, and our Litigation Group can help resolve them. We are experienced in handling conflicts relating to health care, including professional disciplinary matters, fee reimbursement by the federal government and private insurers, and regulatory violations. Our Health Systems & Hospitals Group is well versed in assisting clients in resolving these issues in an expedient and efficient manner.