A Look Back at RPC in 2022 and Forward to 2023
A Look Back at RPC in 2022 and Forward to 2023
A Possible Final Decision in the Vista Medical Center Stop-Loss Litigation
On December 28, 2022, the Third Court of Appeals in Austin issued its latest decision in the seemingly never-ending litigation over the stop-loss exception to the Division’s 1997 Inpatient Hospital Fee Guideline. Stone Loughlin Swanson publishes a newsletter focusing on Texas workers’ compensation law and the December 2022 issue has an article by James Loughlin discussing the history and issues in the case. Mr. Loughlin has graciously let RPC reprint his article. It has links to the recent decision and to other important documents. We think you will find it an interesting read.
Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories in Ambulatory Surgical Centers White Paper
Considering Developing an ASC-Based Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory? Research & Planning Consultants and Health Management Associates have prepared a white paper explaining guidance on safety, efficacy, and patient selection for diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization procedures in Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) from medical professional societies and Medicare.
Reasonable Charges and Reasonable Value of Medical Services in Texas Personal Injury Cases
Past and future medical expenses are major elements of damages in personal injury cases. In many cases they are by far the largest element of “hard” damages and are used as a reference point for jurors in awarding pain and suffering and other “soft” damages. While plaintiffs should be fairly compensated for their medical expenses, the expenses should not be unfairly inflated. Recently we modified an actual report on reasonable charges and reasonable value for a defendant to create a sample report showing RPC’s data sources and methods of analysis for part medical expenses. The sample report is available to download here.
Discovery under Texas Rules of Civil Procedure regarding testifying experts
In 2021, the Supreme Court of Texas modified the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure regarding testifying experts. Because RPC frequently provides expert testimony in state cases, we asked Bill Christian, an attorney with Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody to prepare a memorandum explaining the difference in the old and new rules and to identify which rules applied to a specific litigation case.
Why You Need Both Vocational and Economic Experts in Wrongful Termination Cases
In a wrongful termination case, damages may extend through the Plaintiff’s work-life expectancy and retirement. When the facts show pecuniary damages may last longer than a normal job search period, both the plaintiff and defendant may need two experts: an Economist and a Vocational consultant.
Alabama CON Board Approves First ASC Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Healthcare Management Associates (HMA) and Research and Planning Consultants (RPC) are pleased to announce their client has received CON Board approval for Alabama’s first single-specialty, cardiac and vascular ambulatory surgery center.
Differences between Disability in Personal Injury Cases and Social Security Disability Insurance
There are several reasons why the calculation of post-injury earning capacity in personal injury cases may differ from Social Security’s disability determination. Six of the biggest reasons are discussed in this blog
Vocational Testing in Litigation
When appropriate and possible, a vocational expert uses vocational tests to measure an individual’s interests, abilities, and aptitudes. In this blog, we will discuss who administers vocational tests, how they are administered, and what type of tests are used.
The Validity of Self-Report Measures to Determine Psychological Conditions
Some life care planners and vocational consultants rely on data from self-administered questionnaires completed by plaintiffs in personal injury litigation. Questions often arise about the validity and reliability of these data. In this blog post, we discuss a few self-administered questionnaires providers commonly use to assess psychological and neurocognitive conditions and their limitations.