title: National Health Laboratories settlement raises unresolved legal issues.
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mazer
mesh_terms: 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