Practice/Organization Description
The Pacific Northwest is one of the nation’s most challenging insurance environments for carriers, producers and business associations offering health care benefits. The increasing incidence of complex, ambiguous or inconsistent laws, regulations and unwritten regulatory standards has helped fuel greater legislative, regulatory and judicial scrutiny.
Proven Experience on Health Care Issues
Lane Powell is recognized as a leading Pacific Northwest law firm in the health care industry, representing prominent clients such as Aetna, United Healthcare, PacifiCare, Premera Blue Cross, LifeWise, Dental Health Services, Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Willis of North America and the Association of Washington Business. The Firm’s highly skilled health care attorneys are dedicated to matters such as:
•Regulatory Representation: Representing insurers, HMOs, networks, facilities, agents and brokers in regulatory matters involving administrative agencies.
•Managed Care: Employing broad experience in the development of managed care organizations and integrated health care delivery systems. Firm attorneys prepare documentation required for health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, third-party administrators and other managed-care entities.
•Professional Affairs: Handing the business and professional aspects of contracting with physicians and other professionals. Lane Powell attorneys assist with medical staff bylaws and credentialing procedures, physician incentive compensation and recruitment, and professional service contracts.
•Patient and Resident Issues: Providing advice regarding patient and resident issues such as admissions, advance directives, confidentiality, consent, medical records, reporting, research, termination of life support and transplants.
In addition to acting as general counsel for a number of providers, payors and other health care organizations, Lane Powell offers broad experience with stock and nonstock, taxable and nontaxable acquisitions, mergers, affiliations, liquidations and reorganizations. The Firm regularly handles the relationship between corporate structure and tax, exemption and charitable trust issues, plus provides representation in exempt and taxable debt and equity financings, partnerships and joint ventures.
Strong Record of Successful Litigation
Should litigation prove necessary, Lane Powell has one of the most experienced and successful litigation teams working in the health care industry.
•Lane Powell represented a national health care carrier in the nation’s largest managed care multi-district litigation proceeding, MDL 1334.
•In addition to laying the groundwork for national provider-based litigation, Lane Powell has a proven track record in antitrust challenges, class actions, fraud investigations and other make-or-break issues facing health care services contractors.
•Lane Powell represents health care clients in disputed regulatory matters and administrative hearings.
•Lane Powell successfully challenged the enforceability of a Technical Assistance Advisory that threatened rating practices of association health plans in Washington, on behalf of the Association of Washington Business and Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest, invalidating an insurance regulatory.
•Our health care regulatory attorneys have obtained Holding Company Act approvals of several insurance company mergers.
A Long-Term Commitment to Health Care
Issues facing health care carriers are diverse and complex, requiring an array of expertise that is found on Lane Powell’s Health Care legal team, including strong litigation experience, effective regulatory negotiation skills, and clear understanding of transactional needs.
Lane Powell remains committed to serving carriers, producers and association plans in the health care industry, whether handling day-to-day contract matters, regulatory representation or litigation.
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