Assess legal risk, payer policies to head off hidden dangers of COVID-19 reopening 

Why This Topic Matters

Reopening decisions during COVID-19 can create legal and insurance exposure beyond normal operational concerns. Understanding the broad categories of risk helps practices reduce disputes, document precautions, and confirm that coverage matches current operations.

Article Sections

1. Legal protections and remaining exposure

   Introduces state and federal reopening context and discusses the general scope of emergency legal protections. It also frames the limits of those protections and the broader liability concerns facing practices.

2. Record your precautions

   Focuses on documenting infection-control and reopening measures in day-to-day practice operations. It emphasizes keeping records current so precautions can be demonstrated later if needed.

3. Patients should sign off

   Covers patient acknowledgement of practice policies and cooperation with mitigation measures. It also addresses handling noncooperative patients in a general operational sense.

4. What about non-patients?

   Discusses potential exposure related to visitors, companions, and other non-patient individuals who enter the practice environment. The section highlights the need to think about coverage beyond direct patient care.

5. Check your policies

   Explains the importance of reviewing insurance and payer-related coverage for pandemic-era changes in practice operations. It includes general guidance on confirming that current activities fit existing policies and coverage assumptions.