Tips for Defending Your Medical License

 Posted on July 14, 2018 in Medical License Defense

It’s a letter you may never thought you’d open: a letter from the Illinois Medical Board telling you that a patient has filed a complaint against you. Maybe you feel betrayed by a patient who would not bring his complaints to you directly or maybe you are worried about the implications of such a complaint on your career and your practice.

Whatever your initial reaction, it is important to quickly get caught up to speed about what it will take to defend your medical license and resolve this situation.

• Understand the scope of a complaint. The Federation of State Medical Boards reports that in 2012 in the United States, of 878,194 actively licensed physicians, 4,479 were disciplined. That number is less than 1 percent of all doctors in this country. In many circumstances simply having a complaint filed against you means that the state board will conduct an investigation, even if it is plain that the complaint is groundless.
• Know what is at stake. Medical boards have great power over doctors' careers and livelihoods. These bodies can impose penalties that vary in severity from reprimands and fines to suspensions or revocations of medical licenses. Because of the range of punishments, it is helpful to speak with an attorney who understands this procedure and can discuss likely outcomes for the alleged acts.
• Respond promptly. One of the first mistakes a doctor in this situation can make is not opening the letter or let the letter gather dust. Failing to respond can carry a second set of consequences, and it is unwise to do so. It is important that you take control of the situation in any way you can. Contacting a license defense attorney at this juncture can help you stay on the correct timeline and can mean that the defense you present will be uniform from the start of the process.
• Know your weaknesses. During this time, it is imperative that you continue working at your practice, but that you do not receive any other complaints. Many doctors are surprised to find out that most complaints do not concern “bad doctoring” (incorrect diagnosis, poorly performed procedures, etc), but rather concern issues like billing, scheduling, confidentiality and possible criminal conduct.

Call an Illinois License Defense Lawyer

No matter the outcome, you will have to live with the consequences of your medical license investigation for the rest of your life. To set up your first meeting with the experienced Illinois license defense attorney at The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc., call us at 630-310-1267.

Source:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/821629_2