RE: Shredding Documents (Frank Lattarulo, DPM)
From: Michael Brody, DPM
I recommend using a shredding company that brings a shredding truck to your office. You watch them shred the documents and then receive a manifest. There are many companies that offer such services.
Michael Brody, DPM, Commack, NY, mbrody@tldsystems.com
RE: Billing Under an Associate's Insurance Number (Yaron Raducanu, DPM)
From : Paul Kesselman, DPM
Dr. Raducanu rightly points out that one cannot bill under another's name and should not ever bill under another's name unless the other doctor is actually present. I would take it three steps further:
1) You should agree that the services billed were actually performed;
2) The services were documented.
3) You can sleep at night knowing your signature is on that chart.
There are arrangements where one can have the payments re-assigned to another tax identifier. Under this arrangement, only the party who bills the service must have performed the service and actually signed the chart. However, this is usually done when an employed podiatrist renders the service and the employer/employee arrangement is for the employer to receive payment, because the employee is salaried. The arrangement originally posed here is just the opposite. I agree that the employed podiatrist should seek legal counsel prior to agreeing to the proposed arrangement.
Paul Kesselman, DPM, Woodside, NY, pkesselman@pol.net
Editor's Note: Dr. Raducanu now practices in Philadelphia, PA
RE: Service Dog (James Lucarelli, DPM)
From: Richard A. Simmons, DPM
The U.S. Department of Justice clarified many of the rules concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act. This became effective March 15, 2011 and can be found here.
Concerning service dogs: “A public accommodation shall not ask about the nature or extent of a person's disability, but may make two inquiries to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal. A public accommodation may ask if the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. A public accommodation shall not...
Editor's Note: Dr. Simmons' extended-length note can be read here.
RE: Service Dogs (John Moglia, DPM)
From: Richard A. Simmons, DPM
As the handler of a service dog for many years, I have interest in this topic. The document, “Changes to ADA affecting Service Animals, Effective March 15, 2011” basically limits “service animal” to be any breed of dog and miniature horses. What is important for a doctor’s office is that the office is considered a public accommodation. From the document is the following: “A public accommodation shall not ask about the nature or extent of a person's disability, but may make two inquiries to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal. A public accommodation may ask if the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. A public accommodation shall not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal.”
In the situation presented, the office was correct because: “The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler's disability.” and “A service animal shall be under the control of its handler.” That is, in this situation, the service animal was not being handled by the person with the disability and no accommodation is required.
