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Volume 16 • Issue 7 • $5.00 January 2020
THE REGION’S MONTHLY NEWSPAPER FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS & PHYSICIANS

A Look Ahead Education

Malpractice Insurance

EXPERT ADVICE

Florida Medical Practices

to See Another Rate Decrease

in 2020 Workers’ Comp Rates
Glen Ged
Florida medical practices and all Florida businesses
Ged Lawyers: will see a third consecutive decrease in workers’ com- Dr. Francois Sainfort
pensation rates effective January 1, 2020. The current
Helping 7.5% rate cut was approved by Insurance
Commissioner David Altmaier after he disagreed with Nova
Providers the recommended 5.4% announced by the (NCCI) in Southeastern’s
the summer of 2019.
The continued rate slide will total more than 30%
Recover Millions since 2016 after a slight rate increase. Complex Health
In its analysis the NCCI cited “claim frequency
of Dollars decline is due to safer workplaces, enhanced efficien-
cies in the workplace, increased use of automation BY TOM MURPHY Systems
in PIP Benefits and innovative technologies” as their reasons for rec- Program Training
ommending the rate decrease for a third straight year.

Continued on page 26
BY DANIEL CASCIATO Future Leaders

In Florida, the No-Fault Insurance to be Agents of
Law requires that all motor vehicle own- Telestroke: Taking Telemedicine
ers purchase Personal Injury Protection
(PIP) insurance. PIP coverage pays up to Change
$10,000 of the medical expenses of a Mobile to Curb Stroke Damage
patient when he or she suffers any
injuries in a car accident—no matter BY VANESSA ORR
who is at fault. PIP may also provide BY HEATHER STORES
coverage of lost wages in certain circum- AND JEFF AVINGER, In the ever-evolving world of health-
stances. The intent of this law, passed in CCEMT-P care, those in charge of complex health
2012, was to reduce auto accident fraud, systems need to not only be on top of the
lower the cost of auto insurance premi- The statistics are stagger- latest trends, but be prepared to provide
ums, and reduce litigation costs. ing. In the United States innovative solutions to guide their busi-
alone, stroke occurs every nesses to success. Creating future
What PIP Covers 40 seconds. And every 4 healthcare leaders with this ability is the
The No-Fault Law in Florida provides minutes, someone dies goal of the Complex Health Systems
coverage for patients if he or she: from stroke, according to Program at the Huizenga College of
• Owns a vehicle the CDC. As the leading Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova
• Is a passenger in a vehicle cause of long-term disabili- Southeastern University.
• Resides with a resident relative ty, strokes cost Americans Heather Stores Jeff Avinger “This is the fastest-growing MBA pro-
who owns a vehicle an estimated $34 billion gram at the university,” said Dr. Francois
• Is a pedestrian each year in associated Sainfort, professor and director of the
If a medical provider deems that PIP costs. From education outreach to advanced technologies, the medical profession and Complex Health Systems Program,
coverage should apply to medical services associate firms continue to seek innovative ways to improve outcomes. which was started in August 2017 with a
provided to the injured patient, the Many of those ways involve quick response. For years, the slogan, “time is brain,” cohort of 15 students. “It was created to
provider has to notify the insurance carri- has stressed the importance of early stroke recognition and care. The easy-to-identi- be different from any health administra-
er. Under the No-Fault Law, they have 30 fy-stroke tool, FAST (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911) tion program that exists.”
days to pay the provider. However, Glen helps the general public recognize the signs and call for help. FAST continues to be The idea was the brainchild of Dr.
Ged, founding partner of Boca Raton, FL- the first step in the chain of survival, providing better outcomes to those who have Preston Jones, the former dean of the
based Ged Lawyers, LLP, which special- suffered a stroke. College of Business and Entrepreneur -
izes in handling PIP claims, notes that The next link in the chain involves EMS teams responding to that 911 call. ship, who met with alumni and CEOs of
these claims often represent the worst- Historically, EMS field stroke assessments focused on a simple three-part evaluation. hospitals and health systems in South
Continued on page 25 Continued on page 8 Continued on page 9