2012 Articles

All the latest developments in health care law By W. Eugene Basanta & Nicholas Schroer December 2012 A summary of recent cases related to health care law.

All the latest developments in health care law By W. Eugene Basanta & Nicholas Schroer September 2012 A summary of recent cases related to health care law.

All the latest developments in health care law By W. Eugene Basanta & Nicholas Schroer June 2012 A summary of recent cases related to health care law.

All the latest developments in health care law By W. Eugene Basanta & Nicholas Schroer March 2012 A summary of recent cases related to health care law.

Drug shortages—FDA’s ability to respond should be strengthened March 2012 As recently reported by NPR, many US hospitals are perilously close to running out of a common cancer drug, methotrexate because a principal supplier of injectable the drug shut down in November after it failed an FDA inspection. Drug shortages in the US have in fact become a major public health concern. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office, summarized in this issue, suggests FDA authority needs to be enhanced to address this problem.

Estimates for the insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act updated for the recent Supreme Court decision September 2012 In July, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released two reports, one looking at the budgetary impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision regarding expansion of the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the other examining the budgetary costs associated with a possible repeal of the ACA. Summaries of these reports are included in this issue of the Health Care Lawyer.

Higher use of advanced imaging services by providers who self-refer costing Medicare millions December 2012 Self-referral by physicians is controversial. In September, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report looking at the costs to Medicare associated with self-referral for imaging services. In this report, the GAO estimates that in 2010, providers who self-referred made 400,000 more referrals for imaging services than they would have if they were not self-referring. These additional referrals cost Medicare about $109 million. A summary of the report is included in this issue of the Health care Lawyer.

ISBA President challenges Illinois lawyers to fight hunger December 2012 ISBA President John Thies invites all law firms and legal organizations statewide to participate in a food and fundraising drive during the final two weeks in February 2013.

Litigating the suspension of physician clinical privileges: The intersection of The Illinois Medical Studies Act and the rule of “at issue” waiver By John J. D’Attomo & Fatema Zanzi June 2012 The peer review privilege found in the Illinois Medical Studies Act continues to be a source for debate and litigation. This issue includes both an article addressing specific aspects of that Act, as well as a summary of a recent federal district court opinion dealing with the Act's application.