Healthcare Laws Have Impact for Mental Health Services, Says Perri Weissman

PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 05, 2013

Perri Weissman, Manhattan-based attorney, understands that recent changes to healthcare laws have made alterations to many facets of the medical industry. Particularly, she notes, the way in which insurance companies cover certain medical services has evolved. Mental healthcare, specifically, is an aspect of this industry that is receiving a higher degree of attention--and that is being covered more extensively by insurance organizations. Here, Perri comments on an article published by The Boston Globe that highlights how insurers now have to approach mental health coverage. Additionally, Weissman points out other issues that mental healthcare is facing, such as patient privacy.

According to the article, numerous insurance companies have opted to pay for mental health and other services, such as maternity care, preventative care for children, Pap smears, and mammograms, after state officials challenged the assumption that they had already done so satisfactorily. Martha Coakley, attorney general, has declared that she will continue to work toward a higher degree of compliance with regard to insurance companies paying for mental health and other services. Coakley writes in a letter: "Failure to provide coverage of important mandated mental health benefits has a severe and detrimental impact on individuals who need those services, their families, and even their communities."

Weissman, who works with clients on cases pertaining to healthcare law and compliance, believes that it is important for insurance companies to comply with the required coverage and to provide the mental health benefits that their clients need to maintain the highest degree of wellbeing possible; however, she notes that there are many challenges to doing so.

"HIPAA issues will continue to present themselves more rapidly with the new electronic medical record, or EMR, incentives that the government has put into place," asserts Perri Weissman.

Electronic medical records are digital patient files that allow healthcare professionals to forgo traditional paper files, which are known to pose a threat to patient privacy if they are removed from medical facilities. The theory is that electronic files are more secure, save space in medical offices, and are easily transmitted from one medical professional to another, thereby streamlining the care that patients receive. However, as Weissman notes, the privacy that these types of files provide is just as tenuous as that offered by traditional files, as the threat of misuse is still present.

"I highly encourage members of the medical field, including doctors, insurance providers, etc., to work together to try to find a way to protect patients while offering the right support," Weissman states. "By doing so, the healthcare community can take better care of the patients who are relying upon it."

Perri Weissman urges anyone who is involved in a dispute with insurance providers to call an experienced and qualified legal professional for guidance.

ABOUT:

Perri Weissman is a Manhattan-based lawyer who specializes in providing guidance to clients regarding healthcare law and compliance. Licensed in New York and New Jersey, and a member of the bar in both states, Weissman is dedicated to providing her clients with the highest degree of support possible. When not practicing law, she tutors underprivileged children at the local community center and works to support the Susan B. Koman Foundation and Dress for Success. Additionally, Weissman is an avid intramural football and soccer player who enjoys traveling to the beaches of New Jersey.