Ethical & Practical Implications of Provider Contracts
Each provider contract you sign will have slightly different terms; each managed care company will have different policies and impose different limitations. We will review some implications of various written and unwritten understandings, consider their ethical implications, and use case examples to discuss how we can avoid some of the potential ethical pitfalls.
OUTLINE:
I. Ethics Codes & Professional Standards
Fees & Reimbursement
Continuity of Care
Confidentiality & Disclosure
Informed Consent
II. Contracted Understandings
Actual Words vs Hidden Meanings & Unwritten Rules
III. Practical Issues
Fee Setting; Private Fee Agreements
Appealing Adverse Decisions
Standards of Care
One-Sided Indemnification
Reimbursement Limitations
Gag Clauses
Restrictive Covenants
Term-Of-Contract Considerations
Causes for Termination of Contract
Performance Evaluations
IV. Ethical Implications & Pitfalls
Informed Consent Complications
Confidentiality Limitations
Capitations & Other Financial Incentives
Ethical Responses to Potential Liability Issues
Potential Abandonment Issues
The Center for Ethical Practice is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The Center for Ethical Practice has been approved by National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 6768). The Center is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.
The Center for Ethical Practice (provider #1287), is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The Center for Ethical Practice maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/21/2021-3/21/2024.