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.
equitable employment
When a facility grows and hires large numbers of staff, employment issues are likely to arise. Everyone deserves a fair shot at a job, regardless of race, religion, or orientation. Still, some employees will feel that their termination or lost promotion was due to one of these factors. Without hospital defense attorneys on staff, it may not seem worth confronting these allegations head-on. With the right legal help, it is often possible to resolve these cases favorably and minimize the final expense, even if settlements are necessary.
Troubleshooting compliance
Litigation is often necessary for issues related to compliance with healthcare standards. 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 need to be trained regularly, and seasoned professionals can make mistakes.
Whistleblowers and fraud
Whistleblowers are an important means of holding institutions to account and complementing the work of inspectors, yet false reporting can be a costly hassle 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 revenue may come from Medicare and Medicaid payments. Seniors with good insurance coverage can still rely on Medicare to cover part of their payments. It can be hard to keep up with the latest paperwork and expectations for these important government programs. Having a legal team on hold can be a lifesaver when it comes to complicated paperwork. As 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 overage, 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 increase the difficulty even further. 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 complications and legal costs.
Hospital defense attorneys are just one part of the network of support staff needed to maintain a large healthcare facility. Make sure your facility keeps its bases covered by keeping a legal team on hold.