The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have sided with Teledoc, Inc., one of the country’s biggest telemedicine companies, in its legal battle with the Texas Medical Board. The two agencies filed a joint amicus brief with a double-barrel argument against the Board’s appeal to the Fifth …
Surgeon Leaps First Hurdle in Antitrust Suit
April 22, 2016 Leave a Comment
It could be the Mean Girls sequel we have been anxiously awaiting: a Napa Valley surgeon alleges that his colleagues and area hospitals ruined his reputation and eliminated his practice in violation of federal antitrust laws. A California federal district court ruled that his case was plausible enough to …
FTC Wants to be a Champion for Telemedicine Providers
March 30, 2016 Leave a Comment
In a public comment supporting Alaska’s proposed telemedicine legislation, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) reiterated its broad support for telemedicine services, quoting its own 2004 analysis: “When used properly, telemedicine has considerable promise as a mechanism to broaden access, lower …
Bleak House on the Jersey Shore
March 21, 2016 Leave a Comment
Remember Jarndyce v. Jarndyce in the Charles Dickens classic Bleak House? The case drags on for so long that the only winners are the lawyers? (Not that that’s all bad.) Well, Jarndyce is playing out in a medical staff dispute on the Jersey Shore. The latest chapter came out on March 14, when the …
FTC Recommends Giving APRNs Full Access to the Prescription Pad
February 15, 2016 Leave a Comment
Groups or providers hoping to ease state-mandated supervision requirements and other restraints on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) received a boost from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) this week when it recommended a state legislature consider removing regulatory hurdles imposed on …
FTC Supports Easing Dental Hygienist Restrictions, Increasing Access to Underserved
February 4, 2016 Leave a Comment
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) released a statement on January 29 in support of a Georgia state bill that would further relax supervision requirements for dental hygienists. The proposed bill would expand the safety-net settings where Georgia dental hygienists may work without the direct …