On Friday, May 15, 2020, Gov. Murphy issued Executive Order 145, allowing physicians and dentists to resume elective surgeries and invasive procedures as of Tuesday, May 26. This is long-awaited news by both patients and doctors. However, before Ambulatory Surgery Centers (“ASCs”) start scheduling and performing elective procedures and surgeries, the ASC needs to comply with the directives of the New Jersey Department of Health.» Read More

On Friday, May 15, 2020, Gov. Murphy issued Executive Order 145, allowing physicians and dentists to resume elective surgeries and invasive procedures as of Tuesday, May 26. This is long-awaited news by both patients and doctors. However, before practices start scheduling and performing elective procedures and surgeries, they should ensure that the practice complies with the directives of the New Jersey Department of Health or the Division of Consumer Affairs, depending on where the procedure will be performed.» Read More

Beginning April 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), assisted by UnitedHealth Group, began distributing the $30 billion to health care providers and health care systems. These payments are not loans and will not need to be repaid.» Read More

As the number of positive COVID-19 cases in New Jersey is expected to continue to rise and in anticipation of the need to expand the New Jersey health care system’s capacity, Gov. Murphy issued Executive Order 112 on April 1, 2020 (“Order”).» Read More

In an effort to make health care more accessible during these unprecedented times, while we deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the government is relaxing some rules and regulations when it comes to telehealth. As we discussed in our earlier blog post, on March 17th, The Office of Inspector General issued a policy statement waiving sanctions for providers’ waiver of telehealth cost-sharing amounts during the current Public Health Emergency.» Read More

On Jan 23, Gov Phil Murphy announced an additional eligible condition to qualify patients for the Medical Marijuana Program (MMP) – opioid addiction.  The addition of opioid addiction as a qualifying condition is consistent with the governor’s and Health Commissioner Dr.» Read More

In New Jersey, a physician is required to maintain treatment records for seven years from the date of the most recent entry; however, questions always arise about how long a physician must retain medical records for a minor.

The State Board of Medical Examiners does not differentiate between minor and adult patients, and simply sets a seven-year retention requirement. » Read More

As most physician practices move towards implementing EHR systems and technologies, medical offices are often prompted to decide whether or not to dispose of old medical records for inactive patients. The question of how long a physician must maintain patient medical records depends on a variety of business and legal factors, as outlined below.» Read More

At some point during their career, many physicians will be faced with an opportunity to sell their medical practice to another private physician practice or to a large-scale health network.  The consolidation of the health care market has resulted in integration at the physician level and, consequently, an increase in sole practitioner and small physician group acquisitions.  » Read More

The law in New Jersey states that a physician assistant (PA) may practice only under the direct supervision of a physician. At any one time, a physician may supervise up to four PAs.  We are often asked what “direct supervision” means and whether the supervising physician is required to be on premises for a PA to be able to see patients. » Read More