Practice Areas & Industries: Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP

Practice Group Overview

We have one of the largest health and regulatory law groups in the Midwest. We represent both for-profit and non-profit healthcare providers, including leading hospitals and hospital systems, nursing homes and continuing care retirement communities, pharmacy benefit managers, physicians and other primary care providers. We also represent managed care organizations, integrated delivery systems, pharmacy benefit managers, physician practice management companies, and medical malpractice insurance companies. Our attorneys represent a wide range of healthcare related and regulated businesses before local, state and federal agencies, as well as litigation in administrative tribunals and state and federal courts.

We act as outside general counsel for a number of large hospitals and health systems, advising on all aspects of hospital development, operations, governance, medical staff relationships, joint ventures, reimbursement arrangements and regulatory compliance.

We also act as outside general counsel to numerous associations of health care providers, gaining our attorneys broad knowledge of the professions and industries represented by those organizations.

Our Health Law attorneys have a deep understanding of the health care marketplace and we dedicate significant resources to ensure that we stay well informed about the rapidly developing issues inherent in the health care industry. Our attorneys are particularly experienced in matters involving joint ventures, affiliations, long term care, hospital matters, acute care, medical, dental, pharmacy and other provider practices, fraud and abuse, Stark law, managed care contracting, reimbursement (including Medicare and Medicaid), licensing and certification, provider credentialing, governmental procurement, buying and selling hospitals, healthcare providers and nursing homes.

Services Available

Our Health Law practice focuses on representing a wide range of healthcare providers and related entities including:

• Hospitals and health systems
• Teaching hospitals/academic medical centers
• Physicians and physician groups
• Physician networks and other practice associations
• Physician hospital organizations
• Nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities
• Home health agencies
• Hospice organizations
• Community mental health centers
• Ambulatory surgery centers, cardiac cath labs and imaging centers (free-standing and hospital/physician joint ventures)
• Pharmaceutical companies
• State medical associations
• Managed care organizations

In our representation of healthcare providers, we:

• Conduct compliance effectiveness audits
• Develop and implement corporate compliance programs for providers
• Advise providers on regulatory and reimbursement matters
• Guide clients in investigations and responses to allegations of false claims and fraudulent billing, and anti-kickback statute and Stark violations
• Defend providers in healthcare criminal proceedings
• Represent providers in Medicare reimbursement administrative hearings
• Advise physician practices in non-traditional integrations
• Represent hospitals and physicians in developing alliances and joint ventures, including joint venture cath labs, imaging centers, ASCs and other services
• Organize joint operating companies of non-profit hospitals
• Organize new hospitals
• Represent hospitals in the purchase and sale of assets
• Represent hospitals in the acquisition of other hospitals and healthcare organizations
• Obtain 501(c)(3) tax exempt status for hospitals and integrated delivery systems
• Obtain tax exempt status for health system's physician practice group
• Advise in tax exempt and other financing of hospitals and other healthcare providers
• Represent hospitals in EMTALA matters
• Represent providers before state licensing boards
• Advise on healthcare antitrust matters for hospitals and physician networks
• Develop medical staff bylaws, policies and related documents
• Reorganize medical staffs
• Represent hospitals and medical staffs in physician disciplinary proceedings

Clients:
BJC Health System, Children Mercy Hospitals & Clinics, Coventry Health Care of Kansas, Inc., Coventry Health Care, Inc., Deaconess Long Term Care of Missouri, Erlanger Hospital Authority, Express Scripts, Inc., First Health Group Corporation, Gove County Medical Center, Group Health Plan, Inc., HealthCare USA of Missouri, Heartland Health, Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic, P.A., Kewanee Hospital, Lester E. Cox Medical Centers, Inc., ManorCare, Midwest Dermatology Clinic, PC, Missouri Assisted Living Association, Missouri Dental Association, Missouri Emergency Medical Association, Missouri Health Care Association, Missouri Pharmacy Association, Missouri Radiological Association, Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, Northland Anesthesiology, Inc., Pathways Community Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., Pike County Memorial Hospital, Primaris, Radiologic Center, Inc., Radiology Consultants, PC, Saint Luke's Health System and its affiliate hospitals, Saint Luke's Health System Home Care and Hospice, Salina Surgical Hospital, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System and its affiliate hospitals, Skilled Healthcare, Sound Health Services, P.C., Spine Care Associates, Ltd., Washington University, Washington University School of Medicine