As I wrote about last January, in December 2016 the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) released its Final Rule amending the Claims Procedure regulating claim handling for ERISA governed disability benefits. In the Final Rule, ERISA governed plans were required to implement a number of changes to their claims handling procedures effective January 1, 2018. However, on October 12, 2017, pursuant to the Executive Order Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, the DOL sought comment on a proposed 90-day delay of the January 1, 2018 applicability date. According to the DOL, this delay was in response to the concern of insurance […]

While the majority of disability insurance cases our firm handles are for physicians and medical professionals that are disabled as a result of addiction, there seems to be a trend of an increasing number of doctors that are suffering from the effects of “burnout” and/or have become dissatisfied professionally. In fact, this is a very hot topic among the various members of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs. Today’s practice of medicine is totally different and has substantially changed when compared to that of even 10 or 20 years ago. Many physicians explain and complain that they are now […]

Individual Disability Policies, Long Term Disability Plans, and Social Security all define disability differently; make sure you understand the difference. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every five adults in the United States has a disability. As of 2015, that was 53 million people. What happens when you become disabled? For many people, suffering a disabling injury or sickness means they must stop working. Or, for those fortunate to be able to continue working, it often means changing what they do or reducing the amount of time they work. Unfortunately, this often causes financial […]

Download a copy of Mark F. Seltzer’s presentation, A Legal Perspective, from The 48th ASAM Annual Conference. In this presentation, Mr. Seltzer discussed the legal issues that may impact treating addiction psychiatrists and psychologists and licensed healthcare professionals throughout the course of treating their patients and what steps can be taken in view of those issues. Mr. Seltzer also discussed the legal issues these healthcare provider’s patients may face and what they can do throughout the course of treatment to assist them. Enter Your Email Address

Mark F. Seltzer was featured in The Legal Intelligencer on August 4, 2017, highlighting his recent presentations at the 48th American Society of Addiction Medicine conference and the Federation of State Physician Health Programs ­conference. At The 48th ASAM Annual Conference, Mr. Seltzer presented during The ASAM Pain & Addiction Common Threads Course XVIII. His course “A Legal Perspective” discussed legal issues that may impact healthcare professionals treating patients with addiction and mental health impairments, and legal issues healthcare professionals may face themselves when dealing with similar impairments. At the 2017 FSPHP Annual Education Conference, Mr. Seltzer presented “Restoring Physician […]

Mark Seltzer will be presenting License to Kill – The Danger of Practicing While Impaired today at IDAA 2017. Mark will be discussing issues and pitfalls common to disabled professionals, how to avoid them, and how to return to safely to practice. Earn CME credits and learn how to use disability insurance as one of the tools in your recovery. If you are a professional or executive seeking assistance with your Individual or Long-Term Disability claim, please contact Seltzer & Associates today at 888-699-4222 to speak with one of our attorneys.

For Immediate Release PHILADELPHIA, May 12, 2017 – The Law Firm of Seltzer & Associates is honored to announce that Ethan F. Abramowitz has been recognized as a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Mr. Abramowitz represents disabled professionals and executives in individual and long-term disability insurance claims, ERISA, breach of contract, and insurance bad faith cases. About Seltzer & Associates Seltzer & Associates is dedicated to helping professionals and executives suffering from physiological, […]

For professionals and executives, having individual disability insurance and group long-term disability insurance from your employer is often the best bet. The key is to understand what each of your polices does for you, and make sure you have the coverage that meets your needs.

Mark Seltzer will be presenting today at The ASAM Pain & Addiction Course at The ASAM 48th Annual Conference. A Legal Perspective will present legal issues that may impact you as the treating addictionologist / addiction psychiatrist / addiction psychologist / licensed healthcare professional and what steps you can take to protect yourself in view of those issues. Additionally, your patient may have a variety of legal issues for which you should be aware.

In most states, healthcare providers and facilities are permitted to charge a patient or their representative for copies of medical records. The cost of copying medical records is generally controlled by statute or regulation in each state. Additionally, federal law requires “covered entities” to limit fees for medical record copying to “a reasonable, cost-based fee.” Below is the fee information for each state. Some states update the fees annually, while others have codified the fees in statute or regulations. We try to keep the information below as up-to-date as possible, please check the appropriate source if you believe the information […]