Mid-Atlantic Health Law TOPICS

Electronic Health Networks: Did you know that Maryland payors that accept claims originating in Maryland from medical care electronic claims clearinghouses may now only accept claims from clearinghouses that are: accredited by the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) or certified by the Maryland Health Care Commission. EHNAC is an independent, not-for-profit accrediting body.

Forcible Administration of Antipsychotic Medication: Did you know that the Supreme Court of Ohio recently ruled that a community mental health board need not prove that an individual posed a risk of danger to himself or others to obtain an order to medicate such individual forcibly? In Steele v. Hamilton County, the court found that ordering the administration of antipsychotic medication against a patient's wishes, without a finding that the patient is dangerous, is permitted when a court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the patient lacks the capacity to give or withhold informed consent regarding treatment, the medication is in the patient's best interest, and no less intrusive treatment will be as effective in treating the mental illness.