DISCUSSION BOARD

PLEASE SEE BELOW THE UNIT I OVERVIEW THAT MY PROFESSOR SENT TO ME.

THIS MAYBE MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR YOU

 Unit I Overview

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 covers a lot of ground and sets the stage for the rest of the text. The premise of this text is that

the health care industry is a big business and what medical office professionals do on the frontline

matters. This chapter also features discussion of the standard of care for medical professionals and

laypersons and what it means to be a medical assistant. Technical aspects of the law are useful for

medical office professionals so they can understand the business aspects of working in a medical office.

That is why this chapter includes discussion of the several types of legal entities, such as corporations,

limited liability companies, and sole proprietorships, among others. Another foundational issue is

managed care organizations (MCOs), including HMOs, PPOs, and ACOs. It will be necessary for you to

be familiar with the many facets of MCOs, including the focused objectives of reducing costs and

delivering quality health care. And, finally, this chapter features a discussion about telemedicine as an

alternative health care delivery system that has become increasingly commonplace. The use of

telemedicine is still in its infancy, but it has the potential to dramatically change the practice of

medicine.

These resources are provided for additional information about select topics:

• Legal entities: U.S. Small Business Administration. (n.d.). Choosing your business structure. In

Starting & managing. Retrieved from 33TUhttps://www.sba.gov/starting-business/choose-your-

business-structureU33T

• Managed care organizations: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Health insurance

plan & network types: HMOs, PPOs, and more. In How to pick a health insurance plan. Retrieved from

33Thttps://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/plan-types/33T

American Telemedicine Association. Retrieved from 33Thttp://www.americantelemed.org/home33T

Chapter 2

This chapter also addresses sexual harassment, a serious problem in the workforce. Other issues

discussed in this chapter are workers’ compensation and social security, which affect every employer

and employee. The chapter also explains that Medicare and Medicaid are government-sponsored health

care delivery and compensation systems. And, finally, this chapter makes clear that procedures manuals,

job descriptions, and employee handbooks are all part of the business side of a medical practice, as are

laws affecting collection procedures.

These resources are provided for additional information about select topics:

• Sexual harassment: U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. (n.d.). Sexual harassment. In

Laws, rules, & regulations. Retrieved from

33Thttps://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm33T

• ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/adaaa.cfm33T

• OSHA. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.osha.gov/33T

• Social Security. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.ssa.gov/33T

• Medicare. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.medicare.gov/

• Medicaid. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.medicaid.gov/

Chapter 3

All laws in the United States flow from the Constitution. This chapter explains the basis for a federalist

system of government: the federal government concurrently existing with state government. The

discussion of the Constitution includes the Supremacy Clause, which tells us that federal law will govern

if there is a conflict between federal and state law. Also explained in this chapter is the federal

government’s division into three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. The judicial

branch of law, both in the federal and state governments, is responsible for settling legal disputes. Each

lawsuit that does go to trial follows certain phases of development. From the time the alleged negligence

occurs to the time the case goes to trial, both sides are involved in discovery, which is a form of legal

investigation. You will learn that the outcome of the investigation may be to decide that there is no case,

to settle, or to take the matter to a judge or a judge and jury. This chapter discusses that, after a case has

been tried, either side may appeal. And, finally, this chapter discusses that an individual who is a party

or a witness in a trial undertakes extensive preparation.

These resources are provided for additional information about select topics:

• Constitution. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution33T

• Supreme Court. Retrieved from 33Thttps://www.supremecourt.gov/33T