Steven M. Harris, Esq., is a nationally recognized healthcare attorney and a member of the law firm McDonald Hopkins LLC. Steve has a national reputation as an advisor to business and professional organizations, counsels privately and publicly owned corporations and healthcare clients on contractual and regulatory issues, succession planning, and related transactional matters. He represents clients in acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and contract disputes. In addition to acting as a business advisor, Steve serves as a member of various boards of directors. Steve also commits substantial time educating the medical profession on business and regulatory matters. Presentations include the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the University of Chicago Hospital, the American Dental Association, and Illinois Medical Group Management Association (ILMGMA). Contact him via e-mail at sharris@mcdonaldhopkins.com.
The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) became law on Dec. 13, 2016, and emphasized interoperability in the exchange of healthcare information between healthcare providers, health information entities and patients. The Cures Act underscored unimpeded access to patient electronic health information (EHI) upon request, in a manner that is secure and updated automatically, and prohibits… [Read More]
Between April and December 2020, many eligible healthcare providers received or applied for payments from the $175 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). On Dec.27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) was signed into law,… [Read More]
The success of a physician-patient relationship encompasses several important factors, including mutual respect, trust and effective communication. But what can be done when this relationship becomes adversarial and communication breaks down? The American Medical Association has historically pointed out that poor physician-patient communication is directly related to malpractice or discrimination lawsuits. When providers end a… [Read More]
When the first laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case was reported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 22, it was difficult to predict an ensuing global pandemic would last for more than half the year. Approximately one week after the initial CDC report, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) declared… [Read More]
Ageism is defined as stereotyping, prejudice or discrimination against individuals on the basis of their age. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), 43% of all physicians and surgeons are 55 or older. Specialists are, on average, older than primary care doctors. In addition, around 30% of the current U.S. population is older than 55,… [Read More]
In this time of COVID-19, you may be considering ways to deliver routine rheumatologic care via some form of telemedicine. Here are some of the legal considerations.... [Read More]
The Stark law and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) are the U.S. healthcare system’s primary fraud and abuse laws, and highly anticipated proposed reform plans from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) were finally unveiled on Oct. 17, 2019. The proposed reforms would 1) clarify certain requirements… [Read More]
Sales and marketing representatives can add tremendous value to your practice: They can generate consistent business by leveraging contacts who have services that can be referred to your practice. However, the services a sales and marketing representative provides are subject to significant scrutiny under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and state equivalents. For this reason, the… [Read More]
In the daily shuffle of evaluating patients and focusing on the delivery of high-quality patient care, the importance of protecting patient information may get overlooked. Human error is just one possible way patient information can be compromised. Cybersecurity attacks are becoming more numerous and sophisticated every day, with the number of patient records compromised increasing…. [Read More]
The opioid epidemic in the U.S. has destroyed thousands of lives and torn families apart. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 130 people in the U.S. die each day from an opioid overdose. From 1999 to 2017, more than 700,000 died as a result of drug overdoses. In 2017,… [Read More]