3 Simple Tips for Ensuring Proper Documentation in PI Cases

personal injury

personal injuryBy: Zach Simpson

What follows is a very common scenario that helps demonstrate why proper documentation is essential in all personal injury cases, and what steps can be taken to ensure proper documentation occurs from the very beginning. Typically, following a car accident or slip and fall, a patient will present to the ER with complaints of “neck pain” only. However, the next day the patient might wake up with mid-back, and low back pain that radiates down the right leg, in addition to the original neck pain. The pain does not go away and gets worse, so they decide to make an appointment to come see their chiropractor.

The Problem Starts Here

When a new patient comes in for the first time, he or she typically starts the visit by completing a detailed history form. One of the first prompts is, “please tell us what hurts,” and there is a diagram that accompanies this question where the patient is asked to, “circle the areas that hurt.” More than likely the patient then puts or circles “neck, mid back, low back, and right leg.” The next question that typically follows the diagram asks, “When did your pain begin?” The patient then puts “4 days ago following my car wreck.” The potential problem for the treating chiropractor starts here. When the note is dictated it will more than likely read something to the effect of “New patient presents with history of neck, thoracic, and lumbar pain with radicular complaints, all of which began immediately after an MVA 4 days ago.”Continue reading

CMS to Resume Healthcare Provider Audits

cms audit

cms auditBy: Karina P. Gonzalez

CMS has announced that it will resume Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) medical reviews August 3, 2020 regardless of the status of the COVID-19 public health emergency. These audits have been suspended since March 30 as a result of the crisis and applied to prepayment reviews and post-payment reviews conducted by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC).Continue reading

Florida and Federal Trademarking Differences

trademark law

trademark lawBy: Chase Howard

In a recent article, I touched on some of the reasons to consider trademark registration and what is required. Many people hear trademarks and might think only of the Federal registration through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Florida, however, also offers state level registration for marks that likely won’t qualify at the Federal level.

Trademark registration grants an intellectual property rights that help its owner protect a brand’s mark, logo, name or any other way that it conveys intangible property.

Trademark protection is available under both Federal and State law. Federal trademark protection allows the brand owner to protect their trademark in interstate commerce, while Florida registration allows trademark protection for marks only in the state of Florida. Florida law does share a lot of the same concepts and requirements of the Federal trademark requirements, however is limited only to protection in the State of Florida. Florida trademarks are less expensive and easier to obtain than Federal trademarks, but are superseded by a Federal trademark registration.Continue reading

7 Types of Business Insurances Medical Providers Should Consider

business insuranceBy: Steven Boyne

Let’s Talk Insurance. Beyond Malpractice insurance, what other insurance should I consider?

Every medical provider knows that you have to buy malpractice insurance, and they generally understand why they need it.  Another policy that every business has to have is Workers Compensation for their employees.  But beyond these two policies, what else should a business consider:Continue reading

The DME Industry and the COVID-19 Pandemic: What’s Changed & What Hasn’t

By: Michael Silverman

On January 31, 2020 the US Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) declared a public health emergency surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was renewed again for a period of 90 days effective July 25, 2020.

In an attempt to focus on patients over paperwork and to remove obstacles from access to patient care, HHS relaxed or suspended certain healthcare provider requirements. Several such changes directly impact current or prospective providers of durable medical equipment (“DME”) to Medicare Part B beneficiaries.

Here’s a high-level breakdown of some of those changes: Continue reading

New Tens Unit Licensure Exemption Florida

tens unit

tens unitBy: Michael Silverman

Did you know? With the passage and recent implementation of Florida’s Senate Bill 1742 there is a new exemption in place for the otherwise required Home Medical Equipment (“HME”) license for providing TENS units to patients.

More specifically, as of July 1, 2020 MDs, DOs and DCs are now exempt from that HME licensure requirement so long as such licensed healthcare practitioners are engaged in the sale or rent of such electro stimulation equipment to their patients in the course of their practice.Continue reading