Not everyone appreciates the important contributions of hospital defense attorneys. These are some examples of the many cases in which your help could be essential for a medical center.
Fair Employment
When a facility grows and hires a large number of staff, employment issues are likely to arise. Everyone deserves a fair chance at a job, regardless of race, religion, or orientation. Still, some employees will feel that their termination or missed promotion was due to one of these factors. Without hospital defense attorneys on staff, it may not seem worthwhile to confront these allegations directly. With the right legal help, it is often possible to resolve these cases favorably and minimize the ultimate expense, even if settlements are necessary.
Resolution of compliance problems
Litigation is often necessary for issues related to compliance with health care regulations. It is important to comply with all standards that may affect patient care, but even so, some conflicts are unavoidable in a large enough institution. New staff must receive regular training, and experienced professionals can make mistakes.
Whistleblowers and Fraud
Whistleblowers are an important means of holding institutions accountable and complementing the work of inspectors, yet false reports can be a costly nuisance for large institutions. In an era when the American healthcare system remains under constant scrutiny, it can be difficult for government agencies to devote their resources to investigating real criminals. Rather than remain at the mercy of disgruntled employees, it’s important to take an active stance when it comes to defending yourself against false accusations and fraudulent reports.
Medicare and Medicaid Law
Depending on the demographics served, a significant portion of income may come from Medicare and Medicaid payments. Elderly patients with good insurance coverage can still rely on Medicare to cover part of their payments. It can be difficult to keep up with the latest paperwork and expectations for these important government programs. Having a legal team on retainer can be a lifesaver when it comes to complicated paperwork. Since the nature of state-sponsored health coverage changes at the state and federal levels, guessing what procedures might be covered will expose a hospital to significant financial risk.
Overpayment Recovery
When both patients and insurance companies make payments, there is sometimes a miscommunication or miscalculation that results in an overpayment to the health care provider. It is illegal for the health care provider to keep the excess, yet identifying and repaying overpayments can be a tedious challenge for a busy facility. When secondary payers and other entities also contribute payments, it can further increase the difficulty. A hospital seeking to protect its reputation in the community may be slow to collect significant debts from uninsured patients, but a relatively minor overpayment discrepancy can lead to significant legal complications and costs.
Hospital defense attorneys are just one part of the network of support staff needed to maintain a large health care facility. Make sure your facility keeps its bases covered by keeping a legal team on hold.