Staying Compliant in a Litigious Environment

To provide high-quality care for individuals with pain, a healthcare practitioner should have current knowledge of clinical standards, analyze each patient’s medical needs, and create an individualized treatment plan. Providing such care to patients who often present with complex histories, unique needs, and comorbid conditions can be more of an art than a science, as practitioners must base decisions on their formal education and training, medical literature, and practical experience. Given the ever-changing regulatory environment and increasing scrutiny by public and private payers alike, practitioners must also be keenly aware of the laws, regulations, payer standards, and enforcement trends affecting pain management today. This presentation, led by an experienced healthcare attorney, will provide a timely update on criminal enforcement and payer recoupment actions, and highlight their impact on pain practitioners and clinical laboratories. Drawing from the law and his practical experience in advising pain care providers on compliance matters, the presenter will also recommend safeguards practitioners and laboratories can put in place to remain compliant in an era of increasing litigiousness when prescribing controlled medications, conducting urine drug testing, and structuring payment arrangements between ordering providers and laboratories. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2018)