Medical Ethics and Law Flashcards

Which law requires hospitals receiving Medicare funds to inform patients of their right to create advance directives?

Answer: Patient Self-Determination Act

The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 requires facilities to inform patients about advance directives.

Under the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, affected individuals must be notified of a breach of unsecured PHI no later than:

Answer: 60 calendar days after discovery

Covered entities must notify affected individuals without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovering a breach.

A technologist falsely tells coworkers that a colleague is stealing reagents. This spoken false statement damaging reputation is:

Answer: Slander

Slander is oral defamation, while libel is written defamation.

The HIPAA "minimum necessary" standard means a technologist should:

Answer: Access only the PHI needed to do the assigned job

The minimum necessary standard limits PHI use and disclosure to what is required for the task.

Which federal law prohibits offering or receiving remuneration for referrals of services paid by federal health programs?

Answer: Anti-Kickback Statute

The Anti-Kickback Statute makes it a crime to exchange anything of value for federal health care program referrals.

Ordering unnecessary lab tests to bill Medicare could expose a laboratory to liability under which law?

Answer: False Claims Act

Submitting claims for medically unnecessary services can violate the False Claims Act, which also protects whistleblowers.

Which ethical principle is primarily involved when a lab allocates scarce testing supplies fairly among all patients?

Answer: Justice

Justice concerns fair and equitable distribution of resources and care.