Terminating a physician-patient relationship is fraught with dangers that can lead to serious legal and financial headaches.
When you “fire” a patient, they can easily feel neglected, discarded and discriminated against. This is what typically drives a patient to make an accusation of abandonment. And if this happens, you can count on ending up in a legal and financial nightmare you want no part of.
But, with a little help, you can end a patient relationship without the worry of getting accused of wrongdoing, dealing with financial penalties and the stress of defending your actions. The answer is to follow a specific step-by-step patient relationship termination policy, and this is where healthcare attorney and educator, Heidi Kocher, BS, MBA, JD, CHC, can help.
During her 60-minute online training session, Heidi will walk you through the precise steps you must employ to avoid being accused of abandonment when you end a patient relationship.
Here are just a few of the practical tactics you’ll receive by completing this 60-minute online training:
- Avoid discrimination charges from protected patient classes
- Defend against “reasonable notice” mistakes that are sure to land you in court
- Identify specific times you should NEVER stop seeing a patient, unless you want to get sued
- Implement documentation and witness strategies to bulletproof your decision
- Uncover how pregnant patients can cause unique problems, and how to avoid them
- Write a termination notice letter that protects you against licensing board actions
- Implement a patient termination policy so you can’t be accused of favoritism
- And so much more….
At some point, just about every practice, across all specialties and health care fields, will be faced with having to terminate a patient relationship. When this occurs, the only way to protect yourself from accusations of abandonment is to implement, master, and follow a patient relationship termination policy that includes your specific state guidelines.
Don’t risk exposing yourself to significant legal, financial and emotional distress when it comes to “firing” a patient.
Protect yourself from patient abandonment accusations, by ordering this must-see online training today.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Typically, there are two reasons that drive the termination of a patient relationship:
1. Availability: You’re moving, closing your practice, leaving a specific insurance network, etc.
2. Undesirable Patient/Guardian Behavior. Patients and/or their Guardians may be abusive, disruptive or violent, may have repeatedly missed appointments, been noncompliant with treatment plans, refused to pay for the medical services you’ve provided, etc.
If you believe even one of the above reasons could now or in the future apply to your practice, then you and your team should most certainly order this attorney-led online training.
Heidi has 20 years of experience in health care legal and compliance related issues. Her experience includes positions at a large hospital corporation, serving as a compliance officer for a sleep lab/DME company and a compliance director, chief privacy officer and interim chief compliance officer at a medical device manufacturer.
In addition, she has represented and advised critical access and long-term care hospitals, physician groups, home health agencies, DME companies, pharmacies (including compounding pharmacies), non-profit organizations, and licensed individuals. As a result, she understands the complexities and challenges that providers large and small face in complying with increasingly varied and complex laws.
She is an expert in all aspects of compliance and privacy programs, including developing and deploying policies, procedures and training. Her experience includes implementing the various requirements and aspects of a Corporate Integrity Agreement, responding to and defending audits from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers up through the ALJ level, guiding clients through voluntary self-disclosures, seeking advisory opinions from the OIG, and defending FDA audits.
Heidi developed criteria for and implemented an aggregate spend system, permitting a medical device manufacturer to timely report correct information under the Physician Open Payments Acts (also known as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act).
In addition, she is experienced in developing and implementing a compliance program to address Foreign Corrupt Practices Act requirements, including Eucomed guidelines. She also has significant reimbursement experience, addressing coverage policy issues, challenging denials, recoupments, and loss of billing privileges, obtaining HCPCS codes, and other reimbursement related issues.
Overall presentation was good and very informative!
David Lambert
St. George Medical Clinic, Compliance Officer
Great content!
Belinda Hein
UC San Diego Health, Director of Risk Management
It was good.
Hollie Barret
Horizon Healthcare, Director
Good!
Mario Mova
Advanced Orthopedics & Sport Medicine, Executive Director
Great info! Great speaker. It will change how we practice and it was well worth attendance.
Teresa Ward
Region II Human Resources, Director of Outpatient Sservices
