Barta Law

If you ask anyone who they trust most in healthcare, their answer would most likely be their doctor. Your doctor knows your history, understands the symptoms you are feeling, and has undergone extensive training to make healthcare decisions in your best interest. But what the general population doesn’t realize is that your doctor’s expertise is not the final word.

Speaking up in healthcare takes a lot of courage. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers often see things that aren’t right, such as unsafe care, fraud, harassment, or misuse of medical tools.

Retaliation in healthcare is far more widespread than many people think.

There are few things more frustrating and concerning than when you open a letter from your healthcare insurer and see the word DENIED.

There are a few simple things that you can do and prepare to make sure that your consultation is smooth, clear, and productive.

In the last 10 years, the American healthcare system has undergone a dramatic shift. It's one that most patients never see, but almost all of them feel. More and more hospitals, emergency departments, physicians’ practices, and specialty clinics are no longer owned by doctors or community health systems. Rather, they are being bought up by private equity firms and other corporate entities, and their primary obligations are not to the patients but to the investors. This is a

The American healthcare system is one of the most misunderstood aspects of American life, even though it is one of the most frequently discussed ones.

When insurers, health plans and health care systems retaliate against physicians, surgeons, and other health care providers (which is...

California Business & Professions Code 2056 protects physicians and surgeons (and similar laws protect other health care providers)...

If you’re a physician, a “without cause” termination is just as harmful as being terminated for cause. In many cases it can be legally...

Telehealth (telemedicine) seemed like it was here to stay when the pandemic hit. Being stuck at home and needing the advice or services...

Theresa J. Barta has been selected to the 2020 California Super Lawyers list for health care law. Each year, no more than five percent of...

The answer is, “Kind of.” While Medical Directors have a medical degree, their focus is not on providing patient care. Instead, they...

Letters and Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) sent by insurers to patients stating that the medical services their doctor provided were “not...

When a physician joins an insurer’s PPO network, they agree to accept discounted rates for their services in exchange for the insurer...

Are you a doctor who provides services to patients through Medicare Advantage plans? IF SO . . . you should know that a federal law (CFR...

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “productivity” and know that increased productivity is a goal in most, if not all, businesses. But, did...

Beware patients (which means everyone!). Only health insurers and employers who sponsor health insurance for their employees benefit from...

Physicians are tracked on performance measures, which are NOT to be confused with economic or efficiency profiling. Health insurers use...

Health insurers have long used exclusion of doctors from provider networks as a means to increase their bottom line. When there are fewer...