Knowledge Library

2024 New Law Alert: California

As it is every year, numerous pieces of legislation impacting physicians were signed into law in California in 2023. The following new health laws are particularly relevant to physician practices and medical professional liability. This alert is based on information obtained from the California Medical Association. All laws are effective January 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.    Allied Health Professionals: AB 1070 – Supervision of Physician Assistants: Exceptions Permits a physician and surgeon to supervise up to 8 physician assistants at one time if all the physician assistants are focused solely on performing in-home health evaluations to gather patient information and...

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2024 New Law Alert: Idaho

A number of new laws impacting the practice of medicine in Idaho have been enacted. MIEC encourages Idaho physicians to engage in the legislative process through organizations such as the Idaho Medical Association and the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare. All new laws are effective July 1, 2024 unless noted otherwise.   CONSENT Minor Consent: As previously reported, the Parental Rights in Medical Decision-Making Act largely eradicated an unemancipated minor’s authority to consent to medical care, as well as their right to confidentiality of that care. It also gives parents a private right of action against physicians if their right...

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Hospitals must obtain written consent for pelvic and similar exams.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced new guidance for hospitals informed consent guidelines. Based on increasing concerns about the absence of informed patient consent prior to allowing practitioners or supervised medical, advanced practice provider, or other applicable students to perform training- and education-related examinations outside the medically necessary procedure (such as breast, pelvic, prostate, and rectal examinations), particularly on anesthetized patients, we are reinforcing hospitals’ informed consent obligations. CMS requires hospitals to first obtain and document informed consent from patients before performing sensitive examinations in all circumstances.  Informed consent includes the right to refuse consent for sensitive...

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Bill Limiting Minor Medical Consent and Privacy Passed by Idaho Legislature

The “Parental Rights in Medical Decision-Making” Act was delivered to Governor Little on March 15, 2024. In the absence of a veto, it will go into effect on July 1, 2024 as an emergency provision. Minors (of specified ages) in Idaho have long held the right to consent to certain types of medical care, including certain types of behavioral health care, substance abuse disorder treatment, family planning, and some communicable diseases including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As an extension of this right to consent to care, minors also had a right to confidentiality of information pertaining to care and treatment...

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Update on EMTALA protections for medically necessary abortions in Idaho

There have been several recent developments in Idaho with regard to EMTALA protections for medically necessary abortions. First, on September 28th the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals removed the injunction that allowed physicians in Idaho to perform abortion as part of medically necessary stabilizing care under the Emergency Medicine and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). As previously reported, after Idaho prohibited abortion in August 2022, the federal government sued Idaho under the premise that EMTALA preempted state law in cases of emergency.  The federal district court issued a preliminary injunction in that case; the injunction essentially created a requirement for physicians...

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