Legal

Most states do give physicians discretion on whether to accept new Medicaid patients, just as you have the right to decide whether to take on new patients who aren't receiving public assistance.

Generally, the cost of writing letters is not included as a covered service under managed care contracts.

A look at state legislation affecting primary care doctors.

Patients are not required to provide their social security numbers, even if your practice asks them to do so.

About half of American doctors say they regularly give patients placebo treatments, usually over-the-counter analgesics or vitamins that won't really help their conditions.

A Massachusetts committee on healthcare payment reform will recommend switching the state's fee-for-service payment system to a capitated or "global" payment model.

While no other state besides Massachusetts has mandated individual health insurance for its residents, other states are considering action.

An arbitration agreement signed before the patient seeks or starts treatment is more likely to be upheld than one signed just before treatment.

Senator Max Baucus and another pair of senators have produced two plans to reform America's struggling health care system. How would these plans affect you?

Compare Barack Obama's pre-election and post-election plans for healthcare reform.

The number of family medicine residencies offered to U.S. medical school seniors and other applicants dropped to 2,535 this year, down from 2,636 in 2008.

California's "Octomom," octuplet mother Nadya Suleman, has certainly raised questions about a physician's duty to patients and society.

One out of every eight physicians has been inactive for at least a year in the state in which he is licensed, and most states do not require such physicians to undergo competency tests or retraining when they return to active practice, according to two studies at the University of Michigan.

The vast majority of Medicare care-coordination programs of chronically ill Medicare patients showed no significant cost savings or health improvements, according to a study published last month.

Have you ever cared for a terminally ill patient who has asked to die? Though you may feel uncomfortable dealing with such situations, it is imperative to have a plan for dealing with them.

Less than half of the eligible patients who frequently visit their primary care physician receive recommended colorectal cancer screenings, according to a recent study.

On the heels of a $350 million class-action lawsuit settlement with UnitedHealthcare in January concerning underpayment for out-of-network services, the American Medical Association, along with numerous state medical societies, launched two similar class-action suits against health insurers CIGNA and ætna in early February.

In 48 out of 50 U.S. states, the law has decided for you how to handle requests for assisted suicide: It is illegal.

The Texas Medical Association is fighting the ability of health plans to revoke a patient's policy-and your payments-after claims have been filed.

Two U.S. senators resubmitted legislation from the last congressional session that would require public disclosure of physicians' financial ties to pharmacy companies and device manufacturers.

What is your obligation when confronted with parents who are unwilling to accept medical advice in the best interest of their child because of their religious convictions?

The current fee-for-service model used by the U.S. healthcare system is costly and ineffective for physicians and patients, according to two recent reports in influential health-policy journals.

It's widely known that obesity translates to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hospitalization, and early death. So why don't more doctors discuss it with their patients?

An analysis of 11 leading U.S. government health-care reform proposals, large and small, concludes that a package submitted in 2007 by Rep. Pete Stark would increase federal spending the most but provide the largest overall cost reduction.

An agreement between the state of New York and UnitedHealth Group may drastically affect out-of-network care reimbursement for you and your patients.