ProfNet Experts Available on Patients Recording Doctors, Healthcare Exchanges, More

NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

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EXPERT ALERTS

• Patients' Smartphone Recordings Risky for MDs
• Healthcare Exchange Industry Undergoing Radical Change
• ACA Bringing New Administrative Complexity to Employers
• ERISA and Health Benefits

MEDIA JOBS

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EXPERT ALERTS:

Patients' Smartphone Recordings Risky for MDsDavid WalshAppellate Health Care Attorney
Chamblee, Ryan, Kershaw & Anderson, P.C. in Dallas
Patients and their family members increasingly are using smartphone apps to record interactions with doctors and other caregivers, but the practice could pose liability risks for medical professionals. Last month, a Virginia jury awarded $500,000 to a patient who accidentally recorded doctors insulting him while he was under anesthesia during a surgical procedure. Even if the intent is well-meaning – such as recording medication guidelines or post-surgery instructions – these recordings could be used as damaging evidence in a medical malpractice case. Says Walsh: "Unfortunately, a video is only going to show a single perspective that can be misinterpreted. There's also the implication of a lack of trust or some other motivation, unless it's for a very specific and acknowledged purpose. In general, I'd advise the health care provider to proceed with caution in allowing such recordings."
Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]

Healthcare Exchange Industry Undergoing Radical ChangeScott CarverPresident
PlanSource
"The whole industry is undergoing a radical change, which is being pushed forward at a rapid clip by deadlines for the Affordable Care Act. Within two to three years, health care and employee benefits programs will undergo a dramatic shift to defined contribution models, just as we saw happen with retirement plans 20 or so years ago. Employers will attempt to gain some control of costs by contributing a set amount toward employee benefits, while transitioning responsibility for selecting and buying them to the end consumer."
Carver is an entrepreneur and industry innovator with more than 28 years of executive-level management experience at some of the nation's top healthcare and insurance organizations. Prior to PlanSource, Carver was the founder and president of SYLINQ Corporation, where his strategic guidance resulted in significant growth and recognition as an industry leader in large employer benefits administration. When Ceridian acquired SYLINQ, Carver headed up the business development arm of their human resources and benefits business. He also made an impact as a senior-level executive at FirstHealth, one of the nation's largest PPO networks. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University. He is available to discuss private and public exchanges, health and voluntary benefits carriers, and benefits administration.
Website: http://plansource.com
Contact: Melanie Mathos, [email protected]

ACA Bringing New Administrative Complexity to EmployersJamie WalkerVice President, Product and Consumer Engagement
PlanSource
"The Affordable Care Act is bringing new administrative complexity to employers offering health plans to their employees. It includes new requirements for employee tracking and government filing, and represents a significant increase in employer liability. These changes will phase in gradually, with different timetables for different size employers, and full implementation required across the board by 2018."
Walker is responsible for the company's product development vision, strategy and corresponding processes. She balances strategic collaboration with the company management team members, personnel and budget management, as well as hands-on day-to-day implementation for operational effectiveness. Prior to PlanSource, Walker served as the senior director of enterprise data strategy and senior director of product and innovation with UnitedHealth Group. She is recognized as an innovative leader with respect to analytics and utilizing data to support and define strategic direction for product design and engagement. This thought leadership has yielded two patents for consumer engagement and the creation of products that have increased program participation, reduced spend and fostered documented improved health outcomes. She is available to discuss health care consumerism, the Affordable Care Act, and product trends.
Website: http://plansource.com
Contact: Melanie Mathos, [email protected]

ERISA and Health BenefitsLisa S. Kantor, Esq.Founding Partner
Kantor & Kantor, LLP
"Unfortunately, courts too often apply ERISA to afford unreasonable deference to the decisions of financially motivated insurers and plan administrators."
Kantor, an authority on health insurance law and mental health parity, can discuss the denial of health benefits for treatment of both physical and mental illness. She was involved in the recent case in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals against North Cypress Medical Center, which was ordered to reimburse mental health benefits.
Kantor & Kantor is the only law firm in the country with a distinct eating-disorder practice staffed with lawyers and other professionals experienced in the specific needs of people who have been denied benefits for eating disorder treatment. Kantor sues health plans that refuse coverage or agree to pay for treatment for a short period of time, forcing patients to be discharged before their health is restored. In 2007, she won the first published eating-disorder decision in California in which the court applied the state's mental health parity law to beneficiaries who sought treatment outside California. In August 2012, she won the first federal court ruling that determined health plans must pay for all medically necessary treatment for mental illnesses, including residential treatment. For her achievements, she was named a Top Woman Lawyer by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and an Attorney of the Year by the San Francisco Recorder. She received a "Special Recognition" award from the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation and a California Women Lawyers' Woman of Distinction Award.
Website: http://www.kantorlaw.net
Contact: Rachel Teicher, [email protected]

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

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• 8 PLACES TO FIND DATA FOR YOUR STORIES. Using stats and data in your writing adds extra credibility that gets the audience to listen. It also supplies a continuous source of story ideas for blog posts, articles, and white papers. Here are eight sources of trustworthy and up-to-the-minute data to inspire your writing: http://prn.to/1MTDLCN
• SUCCESS STORY: FREELANCE WRITER TERRI WILLIAMS. Freelance writer Terri Williams has used many experts from the ProfNet network in her articles, so we asked her to share some insight into how she picks which experts to work with: http://prn.to/1MXE4we

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