National Health Laboratories settlement raises unresolved legal issues.
The government's prosecution of National Health Laboratories indicates that clinical laboratories may be held legally accountable for billing for unnecessary services when the lack of medical necessity is known. A laboratory's legal risk increases significantly when the laboratory induces physicians to order unnecessary tests. Clinical laboratories must scrutinize their marketing activities--particularly those related to custom profiles--to ensure they do not mislead physicians into ordering tests that are not required.
Mazer
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D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics*; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007753:Laboratories / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006278:Medicare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States