The attorneys at Rickard & Associates advise healthcare providers and practitioners in all areas of their business operations. Our firm has extensive experience in healthcare business negotiations, hiring and firing, job descriptions, employee handbooks, as well as negotiating and enforcing service contracts. In addition, our healthcare practice includes HIPAA privacy and security, Stark and Anti-Kickback analysis, compliance programs, government investigations, Medicare and third party payor audits, medical billing matters, healthcare litigation, training, risk assessment and reimbursement analysis.
Many of our healthcare lawyers have direct experience working in the healthcare industry, giving us a firsthand perspective on what is needed to succeed and how best to accomplish transactions, navigate regulatory frameworks and manage litigation-related situations. Some of our healthcare services include:
Healthcare Business Transactions
The attorneys at Rickard & Associates bring in-depth experience with the healthcare industry to bear as they review, draft and advise clients concerning contracts specific to healthcare providers, including: employment contracts, management service contracts, business associate agreements, vendor service contracts, as well as real estate purchase and lease agreements specifically tailored for healthcare providers. We review all transactions for compliance with HIPAA, Stark, Anti-Kickback and False Claims regulations.
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Practical Management and Legal Services
Managing a healthcare organization requires solutions to hundreds of unique and often complex issues. From healthcare business negotiations, coding and audits, hiring and firing, job descriptions, employee handbooks, negotiating and enforcing service contracts, and more, the attorneys at Rickard & Associates have experience handling all of these matters for your healthcare organization.
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HIPAA Readiness
Every healthcare organization must be compliant with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Rickard & Associates is a leading provider of expertise and support on HIPAA implementation. If you are not yet HIPAA compliant, our attorneys will assist you in taking the steps necessary to achieve compliance. If you have already implemented HIPAA compliance measures, our attorneys will counsel your organization on the governments latest guidance, helping you to understand the impact of these changes on your organization.
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HIPAA Security
Rickard & Associates will work with your in-house or external consultants to make key determinations concerning HIPAA security issues. The security regulations require administrative, physical and technical safeguards. Rickard & Associates can assist you in complying with all HIPAA regulations.
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Training
One of the most cost-effective ways to meet your healthcare regulatory requirements is to have Rickard & Associates train your staff. In larger organizations, we train staff members to be employee trainers. We provide training seminars on a wide variety of topics, including: Compliance 101, Developing a Compliance Plan, Handling a Government Investigation, Identifying High Risk Practices, HIPAA Readiness, Coding Solutions, etc. We can also assist you in designing seminars that address your specific areas of concern and needs.
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Compliance Plans
An effective compliance plan can prevent problems from arising, and will cost pennies on the dollar compared to attempting to repair problems later, or worse, facing an audit. Rickard & Associates has extensive experience with every aspect of creating and implementing cost-effective compliance plans, identifying high-risk practice areas, creating standards, policies and training for your staff, monitoring performance and helping you recognize and correct problems before regulators do.
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Risk Assessment
What are the red flags regulators are looking for? What kind of documentation is needed to make sure you have a legal safety net? A risk assessment can be one of the most cost-effective ways to make sure you are putting your compliance dollars where they are needed most. Our attorneys are experts in risk assessment and can provide you with the advice needed to ensure you are compliant. If you are not compliant, we can also advise you on the appropriate steps needed to become compliant.
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Reimbursement Analysis
Rickard & Associates is well equipped to assist you with your reimbursement questions. In addition to our vast healthcare experience, our staff includes Certified Professional Coders (CPC) and a registered nurse. This allows us to use not only our legal expertise, but also our healthcare experience to provide you with the correct answers to your reimbursement issues.
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