Our attorneys assist clients in a number of areas unique to the health care industry, including regulatory matters, third party reimbursement issues, professional licensure matters, certificates of need, counseling in the avoidance of fraud and abuse, HIPAA and other privacy related concerns, and regulatory issues that arise in the context of health care business transactions.
WE GUIDE CLIENTS.
As the health care industry continues to change at a pace that cannot be matched by the regulatory structure, many innovations do not fit neatly into existing categories. We rise to this challenge and guide clients, together with their partners, investors and regulators, through uncharted waters, framing the discourse in ways that simplify the implementation of innovation and benefit our clients.
We regularly advise clients, and negotiate with regulatory agencies, on questions of first impression. We also counsel clients on legislative strategies.
On behalf of our health care clients, we routinely handle issues common to all complex corporate entities, such as mergers and acquisitions, real estate matters, financings, contract matters, joint ventures, and the range of conventional to complex tax issues generally faced by businesses and not-for-profit organizations.
Our attorneys represent mental health professionals in all matters arising out of their professional practices—individual licensing issues, licensing in mental health clinics and other settings, complaints before licensing boards, including the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists, the Board of Registration of Social Workers, and the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals, third-party payor issues, and privacy-related questions.
WE PRACTICE PREVENTIVE LAW.
To the extent possible, we practice preventive law. We are results-oriented and seek to insulate our clients from unnecessary litigation or regulatory action by being involved in the planning stages of new initiatives and transactions. Our attorneys routinely provide risk-management counseling to our clients, However, litigation is sometimes unavoidable, and our attorneys represent our health care clients before state and federal courts and administrative agencies on a regular basis.
Providers
- Negotiating and structuring the leasing, acquisition, and taxable and tax-exempt financing of health care facilities.
- Structuring and documenting joint ventures among hospitals, physicians and other health care providers in a number of service modalities.
- Advising private equity funds investing in regional or nationwide systems of sub-acute providers.
- Counseling providers on the avoidance of fraud and abuse and self-referrals and on the development of compliance plans.
Mental Health Professionals
- Representing psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists in disciplinary proceedings before their respective licensing boards.
- Representing mental health professionals in applying for licensure
- Representing mental health professionals in a variety of other matters, including third-party payer audits, insurance credentialing issues, ethical and other practice concerns, and subpoena defense.
General
- Representing debtors and secured creditors in all phases of health care bankruptcies, with particular emphasis on licensure, Medicare and Medicaid ramifications of bankruptcy.
- Representing health care providers and insurers before various state and federal regulatory agencies on licensing, certification and reimbursement matters.
- Counseling clients on legislative strategies involving reimbursement, licensure and other matters.
- Counseling clients on the legal, regulatory and practical aspects of their contractual relationships with vendors, employees, physicians, payors, customers and other providers.
- Counseling clients on the sale or purchase of health care companies or lines of business, including federal, state and local tax and tax exemption issues.
